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SOME LITTLE PLAYS 

AND HOW TO ACT THEM 



p. 139 

‘ ‘How Glad Eveuvbody Will Be! ’ 



















































EDUCATIONAL PLAY-BOOK SERIES 


SOME LITTLE PLAYS 

AND HOW TO ACT THEM 


BY 

MARY ELLEN WHITNEY 


ILLUSTRATED BY 

DOROTHY SAUNDERS 



BECKLEY-CARDY COMPANY 
CHICAGO 


I. 0* 



PNfeizo 
. /^5\A[375 


Copyright, 192^, by 
BECK LEY - CARDY COMPANY 


©CIA 1474 

Printed in the United States of America 

NOV -5 1928 


CONTENTS 


Page 

Introduction . 9 

The Boy and the Echo. 13 

The Hill. 16 

The Boy and the Nuts. 19 

The Dog in the Manger. 22 

The Ant and the Grasshopper. 24 

The Dove and the Ant. 27 

The Hare and the Tortoise. 29 

The Lion and the Fox. 31 

The Wind and the Sun. 33 

Hans the Shepherd Boy. 37 

Training for the Presidency. 41 

Commander in Chief. 48 

A Memorial Day Parade. 59 

The Boy Who Hated Trees. 65 

Should We Be More Thankful Than the Pilgrims?—. 72 

A Christmas Lesson. 80 

A Lesson in Geography. 91 

The Sleeping Beauty. 104 

The Magic Mask. 114 

The Blue Kobin. 130 


5 






















6 


CONTENTS 


Page 

Appendix— 

Lesson No. I. 145 

Lesson No. II. 148 

Lesson No. Ill. 151 





LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS 


Page 

‘‘How Glad Everybody Will Be!” .Frontispiece 

‘ ‘ Sonny, There Was Only One Boy There ”. 14 

‘ ‘Why, We Are at the Top of the Hill I ’ ... 17 

“Why Don't You Use Your Wits?”. 20 

‘ ‘ This Coat Is Too Heavy !''. 35 

“My Boy, Can't You Trust Me?”... 39 

‘ ‘ Washington Is My Hero, Sir ’ ’... 43 

“ But My Duty Is Clear ”.. 53 

‘ ‘ Come with Me, Terol ’ ’. 63 

“He's Cured”. 69 

“There's a Lot op Difference Between Those Pil¬ 
grims AND You, Isn't There, Uncle?’’. 77 

“ I 'll Make You a Present of a New Boy ”. 89 

“There Is No Other Land Just Like India”. 101 

“Shall You Take Me Also, Father?”. 109 

“Let Me Make Haste to Waken Her ! ”. Ill 

“Sire, I Could Not”. 121 

“Good Morning, Edith”. 127 

“Here, Your Majesty!”. 141 

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INTRODUCTION 

Dear Boys and Girls: 

This book was written for you. Oh, of course grown¬ 
up people may read it if they want to, but it was really 
meant for you. In it you will find some plays to be 
acted by children. 

Now you often have need of plays, don’t you! You 
like to read them in class, you like to have them for 
opening exercises, and you need them for holiday pro¬ 
grams and special entertainments. This book has plays 
for all these occasions in it. Some of them are based 
upon old stories that you all know, and some of them 
will be new to you. 

But the interesting thing about each play in this book, 
and about any play in any book, for that matter, is that 
only about half of the play appears in print. ‘‘Why, 
that is queer,” you may say, “where is the other 
halfr’ 

Think a minute. There are the costumes, for one 
thing, and the swords and the guns and the chairs and 
the benches and other such things that you will want to 
use in the plays. But these things are a very small 
part of the “other half.” 

In some plays you can wear your ordinary clothes, 
and don’t need any furniture at all; in most plays 
you can use a great many costumes and properties, or 
very few, just as you wish. But in all plays there are 
not only words to say, but there is the right tone of voice 
to say them in, and there are movements to be made 
before, during and after speaking. The tone of voice 

9 


10 


INTRODUCTION 


may not change very much, and the movements may 
not be very great, but both are as much a part of the 
play as the words themselves. 

So you see how hard it would be to put all of this into 
the book, especially since there are two or three good 
ways of saying most speeches, and two or three move¬ 
ments that would be equally good at a certain time. So 
in this book, instead of putting the words sadly, or an¬ 
grily ^ or quietly, or joyfully after a personas name to 
tell how he is to say the next words, it is simply left to 
you children to study the words and decide how they 
should be said, without being told. Now that will be 
interesting, wonT it? And instead of putting the words 
taking a step forivard, or waving his hand, or kneeling 
doivn or pointing to the door to tell what a person 
should do before or during or after speaking, that is 
left to you children to decide, too. 

Now that will be even more interesting, won’t it? 
It is deciding these things for yourselves that makes 
you real actors. 

There are a few questions at the end of each play to 
help you a little, but most of it you must do yourselves. 
Only remember that the more you can change the tone 
of your voice for each speech, and the more expressive 
movements you can put in before and during and after 
each speech, the better the play, any play, will be. 

Now do you see what the other half” of a play is? 
It is your half. It is by far the most interesting half, 
and without it, the half that is in the book wouldn’t 
amount to much. 


The Author 


SOME LITTLE PLAYS 

AND HOW TO ACT THEM 


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THE BOY AND THE ECHO 


CHARACTERS 

The Boy 
The Echo 
The Boy^s Mother 

Time : Late afternoon. 

Peace : The woods. 

Enter the Boy. 

Boy. Out of school! Now for a little fun. Hurrah, 
hurrah! 

Echo. Hurrah, hurrah! 

Boy. Why, what do I hear? There must he another 
boy in the woods. I must find him. Where are you? 

Echo Where are you ? 

Boy. He says the same things I do, in the same tone. 
How silly! You are mocking me! 

Echo. You are mocking me! 

Boy. Again he does it. You are a goose! 

Echo. You are a goose! 

Boy. Oh, he’s a bad boy! I^m going home! 

Enter the Boy^s Mother. 

Mother. I was looking for you. Sonny. Why, what 
are you crying about? 

Boy. Mother, there is a had boy hiding in the woods, 
calling me names. 

Mother. Indeed! Let us see. Did he speak first, or 
you? 


13 



“Sonny, There Was Only One Boy There’^ 

14 

































THE BOY AND THE ECHO 


15 


Boy. Well, I spoke first. But everything I said he 
repeated after me in a mocking voice. 

Mother. Sonny, there was only one boy there, and 
that boy was you. What you heard was your echo. 
If you had spoken only kind and polite words, only 
kind and polite words would have come back to you. 


HELPS FOR THE ACTORS 

How would the boy enter the woods? 

Look at his second speech. Would he say it all in 
the same tone of voice ? Where would his voice change ? 
Are there other speeches like that in the play? Which 
ones? 

When would the boy begin to cry? 

Would he look straight at his mother when he ad¬ 
mitted that he had spoken first? 


MORAL QUESTION 

Are the people we talk to something like echoes? 
How? 


THE HILL 

CHARACTERS 

The Boy 
The Girt. 

Time: Late afternoon. 

Place i The shore. 

Discovered: The Boy and the Girl standing at the foot 
of a largef sandy hill. 

Girl. Little boy, we have played too long. It is 
getting late. We shall not have time to go around 
by the path. See, I think we can get home much 
sooner by climbing up over this hill onto the road. 

Boy. Oh, but I can’t walk up that hill. I can’t pos¬ 
sibly do it. It is too long, and I am too tired. Oh, 
dear, we shall not get home before dark! 

Girl. But look, little boy, I have found such a pleasant 
thing to play. Take a step and see how clear a foot¬ 
print you can make in the sand. See, every line of 
my foot is printed clearly. Now you try and see if 
you can do as well. 

Boy. Look! Mine is just as clear 1 

Girl. Do you think so? See mine again here; this 
print is deeper. Try again. 

Boy. Now mine is just as deep. See here, and here, 
and here. They are just as deep as can be. 

Girl. Yes, that is very well. But now it is my turn. 
Let me try again and we shall see which of us can 

make the deepest footprints. 


16 
















18 


SOME LITTLE PLAYS 


They keep on, step by step, a while in silence. 

Boy. Why, we are at the top of the hill! 

GriRL. Dear me! Why, so we are. We came here step 
by step. 


HELPS FOR THE ACTORS 

What two things are the children doing as they talk? 
What would the boy do before he said, Why, we are 
at the top of the hill! ’ ^ ? 

What might the girl do as she says, ^^We came here 
step by step’’? 


MORAL QUESTION 

What are some of the hills in life that we must climb 
step by step”? 


THE BOY AND THE NUTS 

CHARACTERS 
The Little Boy 
The Big Boy 

Time: Late afternoon. 

Place : The pantry. 

Enter the Little Boy. 

Little Boy. Oh, but I’m hungry. Isn T there anything 
to eat in this house?—Oh, a jar of nuts!—Walnuts, 
too, my favorite kind. Now I shall have a feast. 
I’ll get a big handful to take out on the porch, and 
crack them before anyone sees me.—Oh, I can’t get 
my hand out, I can’t get my hand out! Help me, help 
me! 

Enter the Big Boil 

Big Boy. Well, little brother, what’s up? 

Little Boy. Don’t you see? I can’t get my hand out 
of this jar. I just reached in to get a few nuts and 
now I can’t get it out. 

Big Boy. A few nuts, indeed! More than a few, I call 
it. See here, selfish little brother, why don’t you use 
your wits ? Take only half as many as you are try¬ 
ing to take there and you can easily get your hand out. 

Little Boy. Why, that’s so. I didn’t think of that. 

Big Boy. No, because you were too selfish and greedy 
to think of it. 


19 



































THE BOY AND THE NUTS 


21 


HELPS FOR THE ACTORS 

Notice tlie dashes in the little boy’s first speech. 
See if you can decide just what he should do in each 
of those places. 

When would he begin to cry! 

What would he do before his last speech! 


MORAL QUESTION 

Why is it foolish to be selfish and greedy! 


THE DOG IN THE MANGER 

CHARACTERS 

The Dog 
The Cow 


Time: Evening. 

Place: A stable. 

Enter the Dog. 

Dog. Bow, wow, wow! How cross I feel! I^d just 
like to spite somebody.—What^s this? Ah, a manger 
full of hay. I think I ’ll jump up and lie in there and 
keep all the cows away. 

Enter the Cow. 

Cow. Moo, moo! How hungry I am! Some hay will 
taste very good. 

Dog. Bow, wow, wow ! Keep away from here or I shall 
bite you! 

Cow. Good Mr. Dog, please let me have some hay. I 
am very hungry. 

Dog. No, I will not. Keep away, I tell you. What 
do I care how hungry you are! 

Cow. You may have some of the hay, Mr. Dog. But 
I did not know you liked it. 

Dog. I don’t like it. I wouldn’t eat it for anything. 
But all the same you ’re not going to get any of it. 

Cow. Mr. Dog, you cannot eat the hay yourself and 
you will let no one else have any of it. Such selfish¬ 
ness and ill humor will some day be punished. 


22 


THE DOG IN THE MANGER 


23 


HELPS FOR THE ACTORS 

What does the dog do after his first speech f 
What does the cow do after her last speech! 

How will the dog show that he is very, very ill tem¬ 
pered! 

MORAL QUESTION 

Do you believe that the last sentence in the play is 
true! Why! 


THE ANT AND THE GRASSHOPPER 


CHARACTERS 
The Ant 
The Grasshopper 


Scene I 

Time: Morning. 

Place: A field. 

Discovered: The Ant, hnsily gather mg food. 

Ant. What a warm, bright day! But I must work 
hard, for winter is not far oft and I shall need this 
food. 

The Grasshopper approaches. 

Grasshopper. Oh, you poor slave, why do you work 
so hard? See how I play and enjoy myself! This is 
such lovely weather. Oh, come, dance and sing with 
me! 

Ant. No, no! If I play now, what shall I have ready 
for winter? 

Grasshopper. Oh, my, it isnT winter yet! I’m off to 
play! 

Ant. No, winter is not here yet, but it will be bleak 
and cold when it does come, and I wish to be prepared. 

Grasshopper. Tra la la la la! I’ll hop and sing while 
the sun shines! 


24 


THE ANT AND THE GKASSHOPPEIi 


25 


Scene II 

Time : Evening. 

Place: The chouse. 

Discovered: The Ant seated at a table eating. 

Ant. This is certainly a hard winter. But I am quite 
cozy here. How glad I am that I have all this food! 
It was worth those long hours of work in the summer 
sun. 

A knock is heard. 

Ant. There is a knock. Who can it be ? Come in! 

Enter the Gkasshopper. 

Ant. Oh, it is you. 

Grasshopper. How warm and comfortable it is in 
here! And what great stores of food you have! 

Ant. Yes. 

Grasshopper. Dear brother Ant, will you not give me 
just a little food to keep me from starving during 
this cruel winter? 

Ant. No. Those who dance and play all summer 
must expect to dance hungry to bed in winter. 

Grasshopper. Dear brother Ant— 

Ant. I have said all I have to say. Good-by. 


HELPS FOR THE ACTORS 

How can the ant show that he is hot and tired as he 
works in the first scene? 

There is a song called A Merry Life. You prob¬ 
ably know it. It starts out this way: 


26 


SOME LITTLE PLAYS 


‘^Some think the world was made for fun and frolic, 
And so do I! And so do I! ” 

How could this song be used in this play ? 

How can the grasshopper show that he is cold and 
miserable when he comes in in the second scene! What 
does he do before he speaks! 

There are about three moves he could make before he 
asks the ant for food, any of which would be good. Can 
you think what they might be! 

What would it be good for the ant to do when he says 
‘‘Good-by’’! 

What little silent scene might then be acted! 


MORAL QUESTION 
Was the ant cruel! 


THE DOVE AND THE ANT 

CHARACTERS 

The Dove 
The Ant 
The Hunter 

Scene I 

Time : Morning. 

Place : By a pond. 

Discovered: The Ant struggling in the water, the 
Dove perched on a branch overhead. 

Ant. I can swim no longer. I am drowning! Helf)! 
Dove. Poor thing. I will throw down a leaf. There, 
little Ant, climb np on that leaf. Then you can float 
safely to shore. 

Ant. Many, many thanks, kind Dove. You shall never 
regret helping me. Some day I will pay you back. 
Dove. Don’t mention it. Kindness is its own reward. 
Ant. That is true indeed. Nevertheless, I will seek 
to do you a service in return. 

Scene II 

Time: Several days later. 

Place: Another part of the forest. 

Discovered: The Dove, dozing on a tree; the Ant on 
the ground some distance off. 

27 


28 


SOME LITTLE PLAYS 


Enter the Hunter, who stops beside the Ant and then 
looks at the Dove. 

Hunter. Ah, what a fine bird! I ’ll have it for supper. 

Ant. He is going to shoot my friend! Never! What 
can I do ! Ah, I will bite his heel. 

Hunter. Ouch! What was that! 

Dove. That was a narrow escape! I wonder what 
made him drop his bow! 

Ant. Now at last I have paid back the kindness of the 
Dove to me. 


HELPS FOR THE ACTORS 

What would the ant do before his second speech! 
When would the hunter raise his bow and take aim! 
What would the ant do, of course, as soon as he had 
bitten the hunter’s heel! 

When would the hunter drop his bow and arrow! 
He would drop it in order to do what! 

When would the dove fly away to safety! 


MORAL QUESTION 

Kindness is its own reward, yet we should always 
try to return favors done to us. How do you explain 
this saying! 


THE HARE AND THE TORTOISE 

CHARACTERS 

The Hake 
The Tortoise 
The Fox 

Time : Afternoon. 

Place: A road. 

Discovered: The Hare watching the Tortoise, who is 
slowly crawling along. 

Hare. Ha, ha! Mr. Tortoise, slow as usual! How do 
you ever get anywhere at that rate? Now Z can run 
like the wind. Don T you envy me ? 

Tortoise. I don T know, Mr. Hare, whether you are so 
much swifter than I or not. Let ’s race five miles, and 
let Mr. Fox, here, he the judge, and decide who heats. 

Hare. Ha, ha, that will be a joke! But I agree. Will 
you be the judge, Mr. Fox? 

Fox. Certainly. Delighted, I’m sure. This promises 
to be good sport. Ready, now—one, two, three— go! 

They start. The Hare soon leaves the Tortoise far 
behind. 

Hare. Half way already. And Mr. Tortoise scarcely 
started. I may as well lie down here and take a nap. 

He curls up and goes to sleep. The Tortoise passes him 
and goes on. He has almost reached the goal when 
the Hare wakes up. 


29 


30 


SOME LITTLE PLAYS 


Hare. What, the tortoise almost there f I must hurry! 

He reaches the goal a little too late. 

Fox. Ho, ho, my friend! Slow and steady wins the 
race. 


HELPS FOR THE ACTORS 

You know, of course, that you should never really say, 
^ ^ Ha, ha, ’ Hn a play. That is just a handy way to put it 
down in print. What you must do is really to laugh. 
That is pretty hard to do, sometimes, but you can learn 
how by practice. 

How would the tortoise say his first speech? Angrily, 
or slowly and quietly? 

How might the hare show his disappointment at the 
end? 

To whom are the fox^s last words addressed? What 
might he do as he is saying them? 


MORAL QUESTION 
How is the race in the play like life? 


THE LION AND THE FOX 

CHARACTERS 

The Lion 
The Rabbit 
The Dog 
The Fox 

Time: Morning. 

Place: In front of the Lion's den. 

Discovered: The Lion sitting in the door of his den. 

Lion. Well, I haven't eaten for two days. I’d appre¬ 
ciate a nice breakfast. Hello, there’s a rabbit! That 
would be better than nothing. 

Rabbit. Grood morning, Mr. Lion. 

Lion. Good morning. Bunny. So sweet of you to stop 
past. Won’t you come in and see my nice den? I 
was just saying that none of my friends had been in 
for some time. 

Rabbit. Why, why—thank you, Mr. Lion. I am hon¬ 
ored, indeed. 

He goes in hut does not come out again. The Lion re¬ 
appears at the door. 

Lion. Well, that was a tasty morsel. But it only 
served to whet my appetite. I’d like something more. 
Hello, there’s a dog. 

Dog. Oh—er—good morning, Mr. Lion. 

Lion. Good morning to you, friend Doggie. Don’t 
hurry by like that. Come in and visit me a minute. 

31 


32 


SOME LITTLE PLAYS 


Dog. Oh, thank you, sir. Your invitation flatters me, 
I^m sure. 

He goes in but does not come out again. The Lion re¬ 
appears at the door. 

Lion. Well, I feel better now. But I could eat a little 
something more. Hello, there ^s a sleek, red fox. 

Fox. Hello, Mr. Lion. 

Lion. Good morning, friend Reynard. You are look¬ 
ing so well. It’s a little cool out this morning, isn’t 
it? Do come inside and have a little chat with me. 
I have a comfortable den, if I do say it. 

Fox. No, thank you, Mr. Lion, no, thank you. I see 
footprints of a rabbit and of a dog going into your 
cave, but I see no footprints coming out again! 


HELPS FOR THE ACTORS 

How can the lion show that he is hungry at the be¬ 
ginning of the play? 

How can he show later that he has had something 
good to eat? 

How can the rabbit and the dog show that they are 
surprised, flattered, but a little frightened at the lion’s 
wanting them to come in? 

Will the fox come as near the den as the other two? 

What will the fox do as he says his last speech? 

What will he do afterward? 


MORAL QUESTION 

The fox was not a good animal, but he had something 
that we all need more of in this world. What was it? 


THE WIND AND THE SUN 


CHARACTERS 

The Wind 
The Sun 
The Man 

Time : A March afternoon. 

Place: A park. 

The Wind is seen raging about. The Sun is peeping 
out from behind a cloud. 

Wind. How strong I am! With my fierce breath I can 
uproot trees, tear down houses, and drive all before 
me. There is nothing stronger than I! 

Sun. Hold on, my friend, you donT mean all of that. 
You are indeed quite strong. But you are not the 
strongest thing there is. Now 7 am stronger than you, 
and can accomplish greater things. 

Wind. By no means! You are not stronger, I say. 

Sun. I am. 

Wind. You are not, I repeat. I am the more powerful. 

Sun. Come, there is no sense in arguing. Let us put 
the matter to a simple test. Do you see that man 
coming? 

Wind. I see him. 

Sun. He wears a heavy cloak. Now, I can make him 
take it off. You cannot. 

Wind. I cannot make him take his cloak off, you 
say? 


33 


34 


SOME LITTLE PLAYS 


Sun. No. You may try first. If you succeed, I will 
agree that you are the stronger of us. 

Wind. Watch me, will you? Who-oo-o—! Ifil make 
him take it off! 

Man. What a fierce wind. How it howls! I am glad I 
have this heavy cloak. 

Wind. The rogue! He is wrapping his cloak tighter! 
Whoo-oo-o-o, whoo-oo-o-o-o! 

Man. a fierce wind indeed! IT turn up this warm 
fur collar. 

Wind. T give up. The stubborn rascal refuses to take 
it otf. 

Sun. All right, now it’s my turn. Blow that cloud 
away a little, will you, Friend Wind, and let me smile 
on him. 

Man. Well, well, there the sun has come out! And the 
wind seems to have died down. I can turn down my 
collar now. My, it seems warm! Just like spring. 
This coat is too heavy. I believe I’ll have to take 
it otf. 

Sun. Wind, you make more bluster, but you see I am 
stronger. 


HELPS FOR THE ACTORS 

What gestures might the wind make to emphasize his 
words during his first speech? 

How can he show that he is growing more and more 
angry as he talks to the sun? 

Of course you can tell when the man is supposed to 
draw his coat tighter, button it up, and turn up his col- 

















36 


SOME LITTLE PLAYS 


lar, and when he is supposed to turn it down again and 
finally take his coat off? 

What will the wind do while the sun is making his 
trial? What afterwards? 

MORAL QUESTION 

Is the lesson that the sun taught the wind a lesson 
that the world needs to learn yet ? 

Have you known people who acted and talked like the 
wind and the sun in the play? 


HANS THE SHEPHERD BOY 


CHARACTERS 

Hans 

The Peince 
Hunters 

Time: Late afternoon. 

Place : A field. 

Discovered: Hans, the shepherd hoy, watching his 
sheep. Enter the Prince. 

Prince. My boy, I have lost my way. I was hunting 
a deer in the forest, and became separated from the 
gentlemen with me. I will give you two gold pieces 
if you will be my guide and take me to the village. 

Hans. I am sorry, sir, but I cannot leave my sheep. 

Prince. Why not ? Pray tell me. 

Hans. Why, sir, because some of them might wander 
away, or a wolf might come and steal some of them. 
If you will follow this little path for a quarter of a 
mile, you will come to the road that leads to the vil¬ 
lage. 

Prince. But it will soon be growing dark and I might 
lose the path. What if a few sheep do get lost? I 
will give you enough gold to pay for many sheep. 

Hans. But, sir, my master trusts me to take care of 
the sheep. It would not be right for me to leave 
them. 

Prince. Well, then, let me stay here with the sheep 
while you go to the village and fetch me a guide. 


37 


38 


SOME LITTLE PLAYS 


Hans. No, sir, I could not leave my sheep with a 
stranger. 

Prince. My boy, can’t you trust me? 

Hans. Sir, you have tried to make me untrue to my 
master and to my duty. How do I know that it 
would be safe to leave the sheep with you? 

Horns are heard. Several Hunters come dashing out 
of the woods. 

First Hunter. Oh, your Highness, we thought you 
were lost! 

Second Hunter. We feared not to find you to-night. 
Prince. 

Third Hunter. We have hunted all through the forest 
for your Highness. 

Prince. But here I am, safe and sound. Do not be 
afraid, Hans. I am glad to find you such an honest 
lad. I want you to come to the castle and be my 
servant. It means much to me to be able to trust 
those around me. 

Hans. Oh, your Highness, I shall be very glad to come, 
as soon as my master finds some one to take my place 
with the sheep. 

HELPS FOR THE ACTORS 

What might the prince do as he finishes his first 

speech ? His third speech ? 

There is a place in the play when he would speak in 

a low, confidential, coaxing tone. Where would it be ? 

Up to that time how would he probably speak? 

Would Hans always look the prince in the eye, or not ? 
When would Hans fall on his knees? 



“My Boy, Can^t You Trust 

39 
































40 


SOME LITTLE PLAYS 


MORAL QUESTION 

In what ways did the prince tempt Hans ? Are people 
tempted in much the same ways now? Give examples. 

Why did the prince want Hans to come to the castle 
and be his servant? 

Do you think you would have acted as Hans did? 
Have you ever done so? 


TRAINING FOR THE PRESIDENCY 


CHARACTERS 


Abraham Lincoln 
Mr. Crawford 
Mrs. Crawford 


Bess Crawford 
Nancy Elson 
Josh Caleb 


Scene I 


Time : Evening. 

Place: The Crawford home. 

Discovered: Mr. Crawford seated in a chair reading a 
paper by the light of a lamp on a table. Mrs. Craw¬ 
ford and Bess sitting by sewing. 

Mrs. Crawford. The corn crop is good this year, isn’t 
it, Dave! 

Mr. Crawford. I should say so. Pine! We’ve surely 
had a busy day. I could use a few more hands the 
rest of the week. 

Bess. Listen, Ma, isn’t that a knock at the door! 

Mrs. Crawford. Yes, run and answer it, Bess. 

Bess goes and returns with Lincoln following her. 

Bess. Here’s Abe Lincoln wants to see you, Pa. 

Mr. Crawford. Well, Abe! 

Lincoln comes and stands before Mr. Crawford, hold¬ 
ing out a book. 

Lincoln. I meant to take good care of your book, Mr. 
Crawford, but I’ve damaged it a good deal without 


41 


42 


SOME LITTLE PLAYS 


intending to, and now I want to make it right with 
you. What can I do to make it good? 

Me. Crawfokd. Why, what’s happened to it, Abe? It 
looks as if it had been out in all last night’s storm. 
How came you to forget and leave it out to soak? 

Lincoln. It was this way, Mr. Crawford. I sat up 
late to read it and when I went to bed I put it away 
carefully in my bookcase, as I call it—a little opening 
between two logs in the wall of our cabin. I dreamed 
about George Washington all night. When I woke up, 
I took it out to read a page or two before I did the 
chores, and you can’t imagine how I felt when I found 
it in this shape. It seems that the mud daubing had 
got out of the weather side of that crack, and the rain 
must have dripped on it for three or four hours be¬ 
fore I took it out. I’m sorry, Mr. Crawford, and I 
want to fix it up with you, if you can tell me how, for 
I’ve no money to pay for it. 

Mr. Crawford. Well, well, Abe. I’ll tell you w^hat. 
Come and shuck corn for me three days and the book’s 
yours. 

Lincoln. Oh, Mr. Crawford—to keep? 

Mr. Crawford. Yes, to keep. Life of Wash¬ 

ington/^ isn’t it? Good book. Like it, do you? 

Lincoln. Like it! I reckon. Washington is my hero, 
sir. It seems like getting a fortune to get the book 
that tells all about him for shucking corn only three 
days. 

Mrs. Crawford. Dave will be glad to have you. 
There’s no better worker anywhere around here than 
you, Abe. 

Lincoln. Yes, but I don’t intend to shuck corn, split 








































44 


SOME LITTLE PLAYS 


rails and the like always. I’m going to fit myself 
for a profession, Mrs. Crawford. 

Bess. A profession, Abe? 

Mrs. Crawford. Why, what do you want to be, now ? 

Lincoln. Oh, I might be President some day. 

Mrs. Crawford. You’d make a pretty president, with 
all your tricks and jokes, now, wouldn’t you? 

Lincoln. Oh, I’ll study and get ready, and maybe my 
chance will come. 

Bess. What other books have you read, Abe? 

Lincoln. Not many. The Bible, Pilgrim’s Progress, 
Eobinson Crusoe, History of the United States and 
Statutes of Indiana. 

Mr. Crawford. Good solid books, all of them, my boy. 

Lincoln. Yes, sir, and I’ve read them over and over 
again. I almost know them by heart. 

Mr. Crawford. Good work, my boy. Keep it up. 

Mrs. Crawford. Yes, Abe, keep on with your training 
for the presidency. It can’t do any harm. 

Bess. Yes, and you never can tell what might happen. 

Lincoln. You are all very kind. Thanks again for the 
book, Mr. Crawford. I’ll be on hand to-morrow. 

Scene II 

Time : Noon. 

Place ; The woods. 

Enter Lincoln with an ax. 

Lincoln. Well, I guess I’ll stop chopping and eat 
lunch. 

He sits down and, taking some bread from his pocket, 
starts to eat. 


TRAINING FOR THE PRESIDENCY 


45 


Lincoln . Oh, here’s my board and my clay pencil. I ^d 
better be working on that problem I started on last 
night. 

He takes out hoard amd pencil and starts to figure as he 
eats. Enter Josh Caleb. 

Josh. What doin^ Abe? 

Lincoln. Oh, that you, Josh? Just figgerin^ a little 
while I eat. 

Josh. Well, well, Abe, I Ve always liked yon ever since 
yon licked me last winter. Bnt you’re too all-fired 
industrious. Let yourself eat in peace, anyhow. 

Lincoln. I’ve got to use all my time. Josh. I’m study¬ 
ing grammar now, too. Next winter I’m going to 
take up geometry. It helps you to reason things out 
close and exact. 

Josh. You must be training for somethin’ big, Abe. 

Lincoln. Well, yes, I am. Josh. 

Josh. Well, good luck to you, and don’t kill yourself 
workin’. 

Lincoln. No danger. Good day, Josh. 

Exit Josh. Lincoln works a little while in silence. 

Lincoln. There. I’ve worked it out. That’s enough 
’rithmetic for to-day. There’s no one around, and I 
need a little practice in public speaking. I guess I ’ll 
try out that selection from Henry Clay’s speech out 
of the Spencer County Gazette that Jones had at the 
Debating Club last night. I hope my brier-root ink 
that I copied it in isn’t too faded out. 

He gets upon a stump and reads aloud. 

‘‘The great principle, Avhich lies at the foundation 


46 


SOME LITTLE PLAYS 


of all free government, is that the majority must 
govern, from which there can be no appeal but the 
sword. That majority ought to govern wisely, . . . 
but govern it must, subject only to that terrible ap¬ 
peal. If ever one or several states, being a minority, 
can, by menacing a dissolution of the Union, succeed 
in forcing an abandonment of great measures deemed 
essential to the interests and prosperity of the whole, 
the Union from that moment is practically gone. It 
may linger on in form and name, but its vital spirit 
has fled forever.’’ 

While he is readingy enter Bess and her girl friendy 
Nancy, whoy when they see hinty stop and hide. 

Bess. Sh! He’s practicin’ an oration. Let’s listen 
to him. 

Nancy. Talks well, doesn’t he? 

They wait until he finisheSy and then clap their hands. 

Bess. That’s fine, Abe. 

Nancy. Where’d you get all those big words, Abe ? 

Lincoln. Oh, this is a speech of Henry Clay’s. 

Nancy. Oh, yes, the grand orator we hear about. 
Wouldn’t you like to hear him say it, Abe? 

Lincoln. Yes, indeed. I’m very much interested in 
Mr. Clay. You see, he was once a poor boy like me. 

Bess. And then he was a lawyer, wasn’t he? 

Lincoln. Yes, and a fine one. I want to be a lawyer, 
too. In fact, I’ve just started to study law. I’ve a 
law book here. I was going to look into it a minute 
before I started back to work. 

Nancy. Well, well, we won’t bother you, then. Come, 
Bess. 


TRAINING FOR THE PRESIDENCY 


47 


Bess. Good luck to you, Abe. girls leave. Abe 

sits down and opens his hook.] 

Enter Mr. Crawford. 

Mr. Crawford. What under the sun you doin^ there, 
Abe? 

Lincoln. Reading law. 

Mr. Crawford. Still at it, eh? Stick to it, boy. 
Lincoln. I mean to, sir. 

Mr. Crawford leaves. Lincoln rises. 

Lincoln. Yes, I may be training for the presidency. 


HELPS FOR THE ACTORS 

When would Mr. Crawford take the book from Lin¬ 
coln in the first scene? When would he give it back 
to him? 

How do you think Lincoln would say the words, ‘ ‘ Oh, 
I might be president some day,^^ jokingly or seriously? 

In the second scene, how would Lincoln act when the 
girls applaud his oration? 

How would he say tJie last words in the play? 

MORAL QUESTION 

What is the difference between the way that Lincoln 
occupied the days of his youth, and the way so many 
young people do now? 

If he had never come to be president, would all his 
work have been wasted? 


COMMANDER IN CHIEF 

CHARACTERS 

George Washington Mr. Eldridge 

Mrs. Martha Washington First Congressman 

Mrs. Mary Washington Second Congressman 

Pattie Custis Young Congressman 

Sam President of Congress 

Other Congressmen 

Scene I 

Time : A morning in August, 1774, 

Place: A room in Washington's home at Mount Ver¬ 
non, 

Discovered: Washington seated by the window read¬ 
ing a newspaper, other newspapers on the table be¬ 
side him, Mrs. Martha Washington sitting near, 

Mrs. Washington. Does The Gazette tell aught of new 
developments among the Massachusetts Bay people? 
Washington. Not much of import, my dear Patsy. 
The lay of the land seems much the same as before. 
But this is an old paper. I expect the new Boston 
Gazette by the next post. 

Mrs. Washington. And much may have happened by 
now that we know not. 

Washington. Much indeed. 

Enter Mrs. Mary Washington and little Pattie Custis. 
Washington and his wife rise, 

Washington. Ah, madam, good morning. 


48 


COMMANDER IN CHIEF 


49 


Mrs. Mary Washington. Good morning, my son. I 
see you are busy as usual with your gazettes. 

Washington. Yes, madam, I would fain know as much 
as possible of the reports before meeting with the 
burgesses again. 

Mrs. Mary Washington. Ah, but perhaps you have a 
moment. The child has something she would show 
to you. 

Washington. By all means. Be seated, will you not, 
mother? Now, my dear, what is it you want to 
show me? 

He reseats himself^ and Pattie comes to his knee. 

Pattie. My copy book, sir. This last page. What 
think you of it? 

Washington [reads aloud from the hook']. 

Think before you speak; pronounce not imper¬ 
fectly, nor bring out your words too hastily, but or¬ 
derly and distinctly. ^ ^ 

‘ ‘ Sleep not when others speak, sit not when others 
stand, speak not when you should hold your peace, 
walk not when others stop. ’ ^ 

Every action in company should be with some 
sign of respect to those present. ’ ^ 

Mrs. Washington. ’Tis beautifully written, indeed, 
my child. 

Washington. You write a very fair hand, little one. 
And methinks I know from whence you copied these 
sayings. 

Pattie. Oh, do you, sir? 

Washington. ’Tis from my manuscript book I kept 
when a boy. Is it not, mother? 


50 


SOME LITTLE PLAYS 


Mes. Mary Washington. Yes, my son, I have kept it 
with care. I knew you would not mind the little one ^s 
seeing it. She tried exceeding hard to make her let¬ 
ters as fair as yours. 

Pattie. And now I shall try some of the longer say¬ 
ings. 

She trips out. At the door she stops a moment^ then- 
turns and calls hack, 

Pattie. Sam is coming hither with the post. 

Washington. Ah, I was hoping it would arrive to-day. 

Enter Sam, bowing, with the mail on a silver tray. 

Sam. Yes, sah. Colonel Washington, de post am done 
arrived. Two gazettes and a lettah, sah. 

Washington. Thank ye, Sam. 

Sam hoivs and leaves. 

Washington. A letter from Brian. 

Mrs. Washington. From Brian Fairfax? 

Washington. Yes, he writes, I suppose, in answer to 
my last letter, in which I told him my views on the 
Stamp Tax. 

Mrs. Mary Washington. Which did not agree with his. 

Washington. Alas, no. I fear he is angry that I was 
not able to read his letter to the burgesses. But as I 
wrote him, their resolutions of sympathy to the Mas¬ 
sachusetts Bay people were already drawn up, and 
his ideas would have received no support at all, as 
the few gentlemen to whom I showed his letter told 
me. 

Mrs. Mary Washington. The whole truth is that Lord 


COMMANDER IN CHIEF 


51 


Fairfax and his family are with the king and parlia¬ 
ment, and not with the colonies. 

Washington. You are right, madam, I fear; hut if 
you will pardon me, and you, my dear Patsy, I will 
see what more Brian has to say. [He begins to read 
the letter. 

Enter Sam. 

Sam. a gentleman to see you. Colonel Washington. A 
Mistah Eldridge from Boston. 

Washington. By all means, have him in, Sam. 

Exit Sam, to return ivitli the visitor. 

Mr. Eldridge. You do not know me. Colonel Washing¬ 
ton, but I know yon, and so, being in Virginia, made 
bold to call upon yon. 

Washington shakes hands with Mr. Eldridge. The 
ladies have risen. 

Washington. You are heartily welcome, sir. May I 
present to you my mother. Mistress Mary Washing¬ 
ton, and my wife. Mistress Washington? 

Mr. Eldridge hoivs and the ladies curtsy. 

Washington. Be seated, I pray you, sir. But now, 
if I may ask, how came you to know of me? 

Mr. Eldridge. Yon are too modest. Colonel Washing¬ 
ton. What citizen of Boston does not know of the 
gentleman from Virginia who was the leader in draw¬ 
ing up those noble resolutions of sympathy for us by 
the burgesses of this colony? And not being satis¬ 
fied with this general service, you send a personal 
gift of fifty pounds for our reliefi All Massachusetts 
knows the name of Colonel Washington of Virginia. 


52 


SOME LITTLE PLAYS 


Washington. You over-praise me, sir. What I did 
was little enough. All the colonies, I believe, have 
done somewhat to show their sympathy for Boston. 

Mr. Eldridge. Ah, yes, we shall not forget the gifts of 
rice and corn from Carolina and Maryland, nor the 
generous offer from Salem and Marblehead of the 
free use of their wharves and warehouses. 

Mrs. Washington. And did we not hear of that kind 
farmer, Israel Putnam, driving a flock of sheep from 
Connecticut to Boston? 

Mr. Eldridge. Yes, madam, there seems to be much 
fellow feeling among the colonies. 

Washington. Of which I am glad. I believe that they 
will stand together. Though there is no lack of strong 
Tories. I have here a letter from one, a friend of 
mine, too, Mr. Brian Fairfax. He would fain send 
other petitions to the king. 

Mr. Eldridge. We have had enough of petitions! They 
are only scorned. Mr. Fairfax probably maintains 
that Britain has all along meant to treat us fairly, but 
we maintain that she has not,' and will treat us worse 
in the future if we do not take steps to prevent it. 
Your friend doubtless dislikes much our plan of a 
Continental Congress. But it is only in united action 
that we shall gain our purpose. Ah, yes, I hear you 
are to be the Virginia member. Colonel Washington. 

Washington. Yes. I did not seek the honor. It was 
thrust upon me. I depart for Philadelphia to¬ 
morrow. 

Mrs. Mary Washington. Mr. Eldridge, if you come 
lately from Boston, mayhap you can tell us how Gen¬ 
eral Gage bears himself. 



53 















54 


SOME LITTLE PLAYS 


Mr. Eldi?id(Ie. Well, madam, I think the British Gen¬ 
eral is exceedingly disappointed at the quiet and 
steady conduct of the people of Massachusetts Bay. I 
daresay he expected to force them into obedience, or 
irritate them into acts of violence before this, in order 
to find pretext to rule them and the other colonies 
with a high hand. 

Mrs. Washington. It is pleasant to think of his puzzle¬ 
ment. {Exit.'] 

Mr. Eldridge. Ah, hut in spite of him, the Massachu¬ 
setts militia is being organized. We call them Minute 
Men, because they are ready for a most sudden call 
to arms. Stores of war materials are being collected 
also. 

Washington. There will be mischief soon, I fear. It 
is well that the congress meets in September. There 
are many matters to come up for consideration. But 
you will dine with us, Mr. Eldridge. Perhaps in the 
meantime you would like to show him the gardens, 
Patsy. [Mrs. Washington leads the guest out hy a 
side door.] 

Mrs. Mary Washington. And I will speak to Dinah. 
She will he eager to prepare a most unusual dinner 
for company from the North. [She goes out.] 

Washington is left alone. 

Washington. These are troublous times. How much 
rather would I stay here at quiet Mount Vernon and 
care for this estate, than go to Philadelphia ! But my 
duty is clear. I must write Brian that we are on op¬ 
posite sides of a grave question, that will doubtless 
separate many other friends beside us two. 


COMMANDER IN CHIEF 55 

Scene II 

Time : Morning of June 16,1775. 

Place: Assembly hall of the Continental Congress. 

Enter two Congressmen. 

Fikst Congressman. Ah, we are early. I am glad. 
You shall tell me the news. I have been away from 
the city for the past month and yesterday I was ill 
and could not attend. What news, first, of the siege 
of Boston? 

Second Congressman. It continues with success. The 
1500 troops who'joined the Minute Men after Lexing¬ 
ton and Concord have grown in numbers. You know 
that Congress met again May the 10th. Well, what 
think you happened in the early hours of the same 
day? 

First Congressman. I have not heard. I was in the 
country. Tell me. 

Second Congressman. Ethan Allen, with a few New 
Englanders, surprised the British garrison at Fort 
Ticonderoga and compelled its surrender! 

First Congressman. Glorious! And what more ? 

Second Congressman. A few days later Crown Point 
was taken. 

First Congressman. Marvelous! Hurrah! Tell on, 
my friend, tell on! 

Second Congressman. Well, congress has adopted the 
army around Boston as the Continental Army, and 
has voted to raise companies of expert riflemen in 
other colonies. 

First Congressman. Good, good! Now what yester¬ 
day? 


56 


SOME LITTLE PLAYS 


Second Congressman. They voted to elect a command¬ 
er in chief, whose pay should be $500 a month. Then 
they voted by ballot for the commander. 

First Congressman. For wliom did you vbtef 

Second Congressman. I make no secret of it. Colonel 
George Washington of Virginia. As the member said 
who proposed his name—‘‘I know of only one person, 
a gentleman from Virginia, who is worthy to fill this 
office.’^ 

Enter Third Congressman. 

First Congressman. Know you aught of the results 
of the ballot? 

Third Congressman. There is only one possible re¬ 
sult! 

He passes on. Others enter and sit. A very Young 
Congressman enters and stops a moment by our two 
friends. 

Young Congressman. Colonel Washington is coming. 

First Congressman. How looks he? 

Young Congressman. Silent and grave, as if he feared 
to hear of his election, yet knew it to be certain, and 
was resolved to do his duty. 

Second Congressman. He is ever thus. Never seeking 
honor, yet never shunning responsibility. 

Enter Washington. Cheers greet him. He looks em¬ 
barrassed and sits down quietly in his place. The 
President of the Congress takes his chair and 
pounds for order with the gavel. 

President of the Congress. Let us come to order. 
Gentlemen of the Congress. Before we proceed to 


COMMANDER IN CHIEF 


57 


further business, I have the honor and pleasure to 
inform you officially, Colonel George Washington, 
that you were yesterday chosen unanimously by the 
Continental Congress to he General and Commander 
in Chief of the American Army. 

Washington rises in his place, 

Washington. Mr. President: Though I am truly 
sensible of the high honor done me in this appoint¬ 
ment, yet I feel great distress, from a consciousness 
that my abilities and military experience may not he 
equal to the extensive and important trust. However, 
as the Congress desires it, I will enter upon the mo¬ 
mentous duty, and exert every power I possess in its 
service, and for the support of the glorious cause. I 
beg you will accept my cordial thanks for this dis¬ 
tinguished testimony of your approbation. 

But, lest some unlucky event should happen, un¬ 
favorable to my reputation, I beg it may be remem¬ 
bered by every gentleman in this room that I, this 
day, declare with the utmost sincerity, I do not think 
myself equal to the command I am honored with. 

As to pay, sir, I beg leave to assure the congress 
that, as no pecuniary consideration could have 
tempted me to accept this arduous employment at the 
expense of my domestic ease and happiness, I do 
not wish to make any profit from it. I will keep an 
exact account of my expenses. Those, I doubt not, 
they will discharge; and that is all I desire. 

The Congressmen rise and, sweeping off their hats, turn 
toward Washington, cheering. 

Congressmen. General Washington! Your Excel¬ 
lency ! Commander in Chief! Hurrah! 


58 


SOME LITTLE PLAYS 


HELPS FOR THE ACTORS 

This is a hard play. Some of the speeches are long 
and there are quite a few hard words. It is very valu¬ 
able as a historical play, however, and if you put plenty 
of feeling into it, and plenty of gesture and action, it 
will be exceedingly effective, that is, it will make a great 
^Oiit.’’ 

There is one speech in Scene I that is spoken angrily. 
Can you find it? 

There is one speech in Scene I, and about five 
speeches in Scene II that are to be spoken in low tones, 
as if for secrecy. Can you find them? 

There are about three of Washington’s speeches in 
Scene I that are to be spoken gravely, that is, slowly 
and seriously, almost sadly. Can you find them? 

How many speeches can you find in either scene that 
should be spoken eagerly or excitedly? 

How many places can you find where it would be good 
for the speaker to smile or laugh as he or she speaks? 

What would Washington do as they cheer him at the 
end of the play? 


MORAL QUESTION 

From this play, what would you say was the finest 
thing about Washington’s character? 

How are most of our political leaders of to-day dif¬ 
ferent from him? 


A MEMORIAL DAY PARADE 


CHARACTERS 


Ted 

Tim 


First Woman 
Second AVoman 
A Policeman 


Terol 


A Kind Lady 


Time: 2:30 v.m.. Memorial Day. 

Place: A street corner. 

Discovered: Ted and Tim standing by the sidewalk 
outside the ropes. 

Ted. This is a great place to see, isii T it, Tim I When 
grandpa goes ’round that corner he won’t he ten feet 
away from me. Won’t I wave at him, though! Maybe 
he ’ll wave back, even if he is carrying the flag. 

Tim. Yes. My great-uncle is in the same company. I 
don’t want to miss him. AAHien you see your grandpa. 
I’ll be on the lookout for my uncle. 

Ted. But say, Tim, we can’t stay here, outside the 
ropes. 

Tim. Let’s squeeze inside. 

Ted. I don’t think these people will stand for it. 

Tim. Well, maybe not. 

A Woman. You ’re right, young man, we won’t. AVe’ve 
been holding down this front row for hours. 

Another AVoman. I should say so. If you come in 
here, you ’ll have to go clear to the back. 

Tim. That’s the way they all are in the front line. We 
couldn’t get inside anywhere. 


59 


60 


SOME LITTLE PLAYS 


A Policeman comes along. 

Policeman. Now you two boys will have to find a place 
back of the ropes. I don’t want to find you here the 
next time I come by. 

Tim. That was a soft cop. I don’t believe he’ll make 
us move. Let’s stay here. 

Ted. Oh, I’m afraid we’d better not. 

Tim. Oh, look! There’s that poor Syrian, that new 
boy at school. What’s his name! 

Ted. Terol’s his first name. I can’t pronounce his 
last. Say, he’s got a good place. 

Tim. Yes, he’s sitting on a box, just inside the ropes. 
It’s big enough for both of us. Say, he hasn’t any 
grandpa or uncle in the parade, ’cause he’s a for¬ 
eigner. Let’s go and make him give us his place. We 
can make him do anything. 

Ted. Yes, let’s. 

They move off and approach the Syrian hoy. 

Tim. Hello, Terol. 

Terol. Hello. 

Tim. Listen, Terol, we have to get inside the ropes 
pretty soon. Listen. I’ve got an old great-uncle in 
this parade, and Ted’s got a grandpa. Just think, a 
grandpa that fought in the Civil War! Think how 
we’d hate to miss seeing them march by! Listen! You 
haven’t anybody like that in the parade, have youf 
Let us sit here, will you, and you go some place else. 

Terol. But I’ve been here since one o’clock. I wait 
and wait. I hate to give up my place now. 

Ted. Aw, but what do you want to see this parade for, 
anyway? You haven’t anybody you love in it. 


A MEMORIAL DAY PARADE 


61 


Terol. Oh, but I love all the dear old soldiers of my 
country. 

Tim. Your country nothing. America is not your 
country. 

Terol. Oh, but yes! I was bom in America. My 
father and mother, they came from Syria, but I’m 
American. 

Ted. But you’re not the same kind we are. You won’t 
enjoy this parade, honest. 

Terol. Oh, but yes. I want to see all the dear old men 
walking so straight, with the badges on. And the 
horses, and the flags. Our American flag is the pret¬ 
tiest flag in the world, isn’t it? 

Tim. We’ll have to do it, Ted. See here, Terol. Don’t 
be silly, now. We ’ll give you ten cents apiece if you ’ll 
give up your place. Think of all the ice cream you 
could buy. 

Terol. Thanks, but I rather see the soldiers and the 
flag. 

Ted. Well, maybe you can find another place to stand. 

Terol. I’m ’fraid not. Not so good as this. 

Ted. Yes, but s’pose your mother found out you were 
silly enough to turn down twenty cents to see a pa¬ 
rade ! I bet you haven’t anything in the house for 
supper. 

Terol. No, nothing. 

Tim. Well, see here. I’ll put a nickel to it. That’s a 
whole quarter. Now you can get her something good. 
Go on, now. 

Terol. All right. I do it. 

Brushing his hand across his eyes, he takes the money, 
and gets up. A Lady steps from the crowd directly 
behind. 


62 


SOME LITTLE PLAYS 


Lady. You boys may not realize it, but you are very 
cruel. This little fellow is a better American than 
you are this minute! He cares more for the old sol¬ 
diers than you do, even if he has no grandpa or uncle 
among them, or he wouldn T have come and waited for 
hours in the hot sun to see them. And now you are 
trying to cheat him out of a wonderful experience that 
will make him an even better American. Come with 
me, Terol. Is that your name! 

Tekol. Yes, Lady. 

Lady. I just noticed my sister across the street in 
her car, beckoning me to come and sit in it with her. I 
don’t think she’d mind if you came too. You can 
stand on the step, at least, and get a better view than 
you have here. These boys can have this place. 

Terol. Oh, thank you. Lady. 

The Lady and Terol move off , 

Tim. Well, if that isn’t the limit! He has our money 
and he has a better place to see than we have too! 

Ted. It serves us right, Tim. Just ’cause we’ve a 
little money and he’s poor is no sign we ought to get 
our way all the time and he always have to give in. 

Tim. Well, I guess you’re right, Ted. I do feel a little 
bit cheap, and I think I’d feel worse if he hadn’t got 
to see the parade after all. 

Terol comes running hack , 

Terol. I forgot. I get to see the parade now, with the 
kind lady. I should not take your mopey. Here it is. 

Tim. Can you beat that, Ted? No, Terol. I should 
say not. What do you take us for-? You’re dealing 



“Come With Me, Terol” 



































64 


SOME LITTLE PLAYS 


with Americans. That money is yours for keeps. It 
was as soon as we gave it to you. 

Tekol. Oh, but—you mean it? 

Ted. Yes, and what’s more, what that lady said about 
you being a better American than we were is so. 
You Te all right, Terol. I’m going to tell my grandpa 
about you. 

Tim. And ITl tell my great-uncle. 

Terol. Oh, thanks. [He runs back.] 

Ted. I think we’ll enjoy the parade better now. 

Tim. I should say so. Hurrah, here it comes! 


HELPS FOR THE ACTORS 

This is an easy little play. All you have to do is to act 
natural. But that is hard for some children to do in 
plays. It is hard for grown-ups too, for that matter. 
But naturalness is what makes a play like this a success. 

See if you can locate six or more places where the 
characters should point to something as they speak. 

Locate three or four places where the characters 
would lower their voices as they speak. 

When would Terol speak shyly ? Timidly ? Eagerly ? 
Coaxingly? Sadly? Joyfully? 

Is there any speech in the play that should be spoken 
angrily? 


MORAL QUESTION 

What are some of the main qualities of character that 
a good American boy or girl ought to have ? 

Now, how many of these qualities do you have? 

Are you pretty sure that there are some of them that 
you don’t have? 


THE BOY WHO HATED TREES 

CHARACTERS 

Bennie His Mother 

His Father Two Dream Sprites 

Several Trees 

Scene I 

Time : Night. 

Place: Hall just outside Bennie^s bedroom. 

Enter Bennie and his Father. 

Father. Be sure to get up early to-morrow morning, 
Bennie, so that you can help me plant the tree before 
I go to work. 

Bennie. Oh, all right, father. 

Father. Very well, then. Good night. 

Father leaves. Bennie stares after him, frowning 
angrily. 

Bennie. Trees, trees, trees! ThaFs all I Ve heard for 
the last week, at home, at school and everywhere. And 
now I must lose sleep to help plant one! Pshaw, 1 
wish I lived in a land where there were no trees! 
[Stamping his foot, he enters his bedroom. There is 
a long pause,] 

Enter the two Dream Sprites. 

First Sprite. Do you suppose he is asleep yet ? 


65 


66 SOME LITTLE PLAYS 

Second Sprite. Sound asleep. Boys are like that. Let 
us get him. 

They enter the bedroom and come out again with Ben¬ 
nie between them. 

Bennie. Who are you ? Where are you taking me “ 

First Sprite. We are Dream Sprites. 

Second Sprite. And we are taking you to a certain 
domain in the Dream World. 

First Sprite. Do not attempt to resist us. 

Second Sprite. No, for you are powerless in our 
hands, though we seem small and delicate. 

All three walk off the scene. 

Scene II 

Time: Still night. 

Place : A forest. 

Many trees stcmd about. 

Enter the Dream Sprites with Bennie. 

Bennie. More trees, I declare. 

First Sprite. Be silent. 

Second Sprite. Speak not, but listen. 

A Great Oak. Whom have you here to-night. Sprites ? 

First Sprite. 0 Great Oak, a boy named Bennie, a 
hoy who hates trees. 

Second Sprite. 0 Great Oak, a hoy who said he wished 
he lived in a land where there were no trees. 

Great Oak. Aha! Friends of the forest, here is a boy 
who hates trees. Something must be done about him. 

Other Trees. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. 


THE BOY WHO HATED TREES 


67 


Rubbek Tree. He doesn’t seem to realize lie couldn’t 
keep dry in the rain if it wasn’t for me. 

Sugar Maple. Rubber Tree, you are right. And he 
doesn’t think about me when he eats maple syrup on 
his buckwheat cakes. 

Cedar. Yes, Sugar Maple, and what would Christmas 
be to him without me ? 

Great Oak. You are right, 0 Cedar. Oif with him. 
Sprites. Give him his wish! 

Scene III 

Time: Apparently noon. 

Place : A desert. 

Enter Bennie with the Dream Sprites. 

Bennie. Well, well, this is not very nice. A tree or 
two would improve the landscape a lot. 

First Sprite. Really? 

Bennie. Really. Why, there are actually only two 
things to see here. The bright, dazzling blue sky 
overhead and the hot yellow sand under your feet. 

Second Sprite. Well, you can see all you want to of 
those two things, can’t you? 

Bennie. Yes, but there is not a brook, or a flower, or 
a blade of grass in sight. There is not a tree to be 
seen! 

First Sprite. I should think that would please you. 

Second Sprite. You won’t see anything else, either, 
though we walk for miles. 

Bennie. Look, there are some bears coming! And 
I’m too tired and hot to run. 

First Sprite. Bears nothing. Bears live in forests. 
Those are men on camels. Let us go to meet them. 


68 


SOME LITTLE PLAYS 


Maybe they will give you a lift. We can travel faster 
without you. 


Scene IV 

Time: Apparently a half hour later. 

Place: An oasis. 

Discovered: The two Dream Sprites sitting on a 
stonQ. 

First Sprite. I wonder what Bennie will say when he 
sees this tiny plot of grass, this tiny spring, and this 
single palm tree. 

Second Sprite. Probably he’s never seen a palm tree 
before. But he^11 know it’s a tree. This little oasis 
will look as good as an orchard to him. 

First Sprite. There they come, just over the horizon. 

Pause. 

Second Sprite. Aha ! Bennie is just opening his eyes. 
He sees the tree! 

First Sprite. How glad he looks! Why, he has jumped 
down off the camel and is running this way! 

Bennie rushes up, kneels down, and hugs the palm tree, 

Bennie. A tree! I see a tree again! After all these 
miles of sand and sky, I see a tree again. A queer 
tree, but a tree anyhow. Oh, I’ll never say anything 
more against them as long as I live. What would the 
world be without them! 

First Sprite. He’s cured. 

Second Sprite. Let us take him back from the World 
of Dreams. 

Sprites pick Bennie up amd lead him off. 


















70 


SOME LITTLE PLAYS 


Scene V 

Time : A month or so later. 

Place: A room in Bennie’s home. 

Discovered: Bennie’s Father and Mother talking. 

Father. I met Bennie’s teacher and she said that 
Bennie was the best friend that the trees in the 
school yard had. 

Mother. Oh, all the neighbors say that Bennie is the 
best friend the trees have in the community. 

Father. A great change has indeed come over him. 
That must have been a powerful dream he had that 
night. 

Mother. I should say so. When I went into the room 
that morning he was kneeling on his pillow and tight¬ 
ly hugging the bedpost. When I woke him up he said, 
^^What a dream, what a dream! Never again!” 
Later, of course, he told me all about it. 

Enter Bennie with a package. 

Bennie. Oh, look! My three maple trees have arrived 
at last from the nursery. Won’t they look pretty in 
a row in the front yard! Come help me plant them, 
father. 

Father. By all means. Come ahead. 

Mother. And I ’ll come and watch you and give advice. 

Bennie. I’m going to buy some fruit trees with my 
money next year. I want us to have a whole yard full 
of trees. 


THE BOY WHO HATED TREES 


71 


HELPS FOR THE ACTORS 

How would Bennie say his third speech in Scene If 

How would the sprites answer him? 

What speeches in Scene II are spoken in stern and 
commanding tones? What gestures might go with 
these speeches? 

What speeches in Scene III are spoken sarcastically ? 

How many places in Scene IV would it be good for 
the actors to point to something as they speak? 

Is there any place in Scene III where it would be good 
for an actor to point, or motion toward something as 
he speaks? 

When do the father and mother rise ? 

How would Bennie say his last speech? 

MORAL QUESTION 

Are there other things besides trees that we do not 
appreciate enough? 

Name some other good reasons besides those given 
in the play why we take care of our trees and plant as 
many more as possible. 


SHOULD WE BE MORE THANKFUL 
THAN THE PILGRIMS? 

CHAliACTERS 

Bertie Mrs. Leslie 

Charlotte Stephen De Verb 

Several of the Children's Playmates 

Time: After dinner^ Thanksgiving Day. 

Place : The Leslie drawing-room. 

Enter Mrs. Leslie, her little daughter, Charlotte, and 
her older brother, Stephen De Verb. They seat 
themselves. 

Charlotte. AVell, were you thankful for that Thanks¬ 
giving dinner, Uncle Steve? 

Mrs. Leslie. Yes, I hope you enjoyed it, Stephen. 

Stephen. Yes, sister, yes, I enjoyed it fairly well. As 
well as I usually do my meals. I have only a fair 
appetite these days. Now, if that was the only square 
meal I'd had in weeks, I might he ^‘thankful” for it, 
as Charlotte says. But as I always get about what I 
Avant to eat, I can’t say that I am specially so. 

Charlotte. But, Uncle Steve, aren’t you thankful to 
be a\vay from the old office for a day! 

Stephen. M^ell, I can’t say that I am, specially. I get 
off every Sunday, don’t 11 And a very dull time of 
it I have, doing nothing. Always glad to get back. 
This is just another Sunday thrown in. Nothing spe¬ 
cial to be thankful about in that. 


72 


SHOULD WE BE MORE THANKFUL? 


73 


Charlotte. So you are thankful for your work, Uncle. 

Stephen. I should say not. But I have to do some¬ 
thing, so it might as well be that. I endure it. 

Mrs. Leslie. Well, well, it seems impossible to get you 
into a thankful mood, even on Thanksgiving Day, 
Stephen. 

Stephen. Why should we be specially thankful on that 
day? 

Mrs. Leslie. I donT know, unless iUs because we 
ought to be thankful some time and most of us arenT 
at all on other days. But I believe that this day is 
especially useful for recalling to us certain facts 
about our country’s history, which we might other¬ 
wise become less and less appreciative of, and grad¬ 
ually forget. 

Stephen. Oh, indeed. Those everlasting Pilgrims, I 
suppose. 

Mrs. Leslie. You may yawn, Stephen, but it’s a beau¬ 
tiful story. Charlotte, recite The Landing of the Pil¬ 
grims for him. 

Charlotte [recites^. 

‘^The breaking waves dashed high 
On a stern and rock-bound coast,” etc. 

Stephen is impressed in spite of himself. 

Stephen. Hm. Yes, that is a pretty poem. I learned 
that myself in school when I was ten years old. I’d 
forgotten all about it till now. Bather sentimental, 
though. 

Mrs. Leslie. But Stephen, it’s sentiment of the right 
sort that makes the world go round. 

Enter Bertie, who runs to his uncle^s knee. 


74 


SOME LITTLE PLAYS 


Bektie. Say, Uncle Steve, do you want to see a movie 
I Ve got up with my friends ? We dl do it for you out 
in the hall there. 

Stephen. Well, well, if you wish. 

Bektie. You pull the curtains, Charley, and we’ll 
come in over the stairway. 

Charlotte. All right. 

Bertie. Then you can come back and be in it. Mamma 
can open the curtains for us.—Now, Uncle Steve, 
you wait until we Ve acted it all through and then you 
can tell us what it’s supposed to be. 

Stephen. Oh, all right. 

Stephen is interested in spite of himself. Charlotte 
closes the curtains and disappears. Short pause. 
Then Bertie’s voice is heard behind the curtain. 

Bertie. All right, the show is ready to start. 

Mrs. Leslie rises cmd opens the curtain. The children 
are grouped at one end of the hall, in Puritcm cos¬ 
tume. They seem to he talking gravely. Finally 
Bertie mou/nts a chair which rather fences them 
in. With one hand shading his eyes he appears to 
view the horizon. He finally shakes his head seri¬ 
ously and descends. They crowd around him with 
questioning looks and point out toivard the horizon. 
He shakes his head again. They do likewise and re¬ 
turn to their groups despondently. After a while he 
mounts again and looks long and earnestly. Sud¬ 
denly he peers more closely, looks mtently for a mo¬ 
ment, then waves his hand in the air, turning to the 
group below. They rush to the edge of the ship and 
look to where his finger points. Then all is bustle 


SHOULD WE BE MORE THANKFUL? 75 

and confusion. Capes and hoods are tied on by The 
Gikls and guns are caught up by The Boys. Small 
bundles are prepared. A few still watch the ap¬ 
proaching land. Finally Two Boys throw the anchor 
(made of pasteboard) and then apparently let down 
a boat over the side of the ship. Then carefully, by 
means of a short ladder, they descend into it, first 
Bektie, then The Girls, whom he helps down and who 
crouch in the middle of the boat, then The Boys, who 
at a signal from him start to go through the motions 
of rowing toward land. At last, when they have done 
so for several seconds, he raises his hand again. They 
stop rowing, the boat is apparently permitted to 
ground (though of course it has really not moved at 
all) near a large stone {cut out of pasteboard and 
braced from behind) labeled Plymouth Rock. 
They stand and look with wonder and interest about 
them. Then Bertie takes off his hat, raises his hand, 
and with him they all kneel down, and remain with 
bowed heads for several seconds. Mrs. Leslie closes 
the CURTAIN quickly. Both she and her brother ap¬ 
plaud. 

Stephen. Well, I declare! Very simple and yet very 
effective. Very pretty indeed. Catches the spirit 
quite nicely. Yes indeed. 

Mrs. Leslie. Well, it made me think quite a good deal. 

Enter Bertie and Charlotte. 

Bertie and Charlotte. What did you think of it. 
Uncle Steve? 

Stephen. Very nice, children. 

Bertie. What was it supposed to be, now? 


76 


SOME LITTLE PLAYS 


Stephen. Why, it was the Landing of the Pilgrims, I 
suppose. 

Bertie. Yes, it was the First Thanksgiving. 

Stephen. No, Bert. That wasnT till a year later, 
after their first crop. They just landed in your play. 
They didnT have anything to he thankful for yet. 

Bertie. Oh, then shouldnT I have had them kneel 
down and thank God at the end of the play? 

Stephen. Well, I don T see just what they had to thank 
Him for. 

Charlotte. Why, yes. Uncle Steve, they had some¬ 
thing to he thankful for. DonT you know, the last 
line of the poem—‘Hreedom to worship God.’’ 

Stephen. Well, that’s so. 

Bertie. My, they were thankful people, weren’t they f 
Look at all we’ve got that they didn’t have! We even 
have more freedom to worship God. 

Stephen. How’s that? > 

Bertie. Well, look at all the different churches we have. 
We can visit around until we find one that suits us. 
There was such a little hunch of them, they couldn’t 
have hut one church, and they couldn’t leave it, ’cause 
there was nowhere else to go. So everybody had to 
worship the way the crowd did, whether they liked it 
or not. 

Stephen. That’s so. I never thought of it just that 
way. 

Mrs. Leslie. That’s because you’ve never availed 
yourself of your freedom to worship God, Stephen. 

Stephen. No, I never go to church. 

Charlotte. There’s a lot of difference between those 
Pilgrims and you, isn’t there, uncle? 

Stephen. Well, if I’m going to he preached to all the 



“ There A Lot of Difference Between Those Pilgrims and 
You, Isn’t There, Uncle?” 


77 


























78 


SOME LITTLE PLAYS 


time, I think ITl go. [He picks up his hat and walks 
out.'] 

Mks. Leslie and the Childeen stare at each other. 

Mrs. Leslie. Dear me, I’m afraid he ’s angry this time. 
Usually he’s just grouchy. 

There is a pause. Stephen returns. 

Stephen. Excuse me. I shouldn’t leave that way. 
Charlotte, you’re right. There is a lot of difference 
between those Pilgrims and your uncle. Too much 
difference. Bertie, Sunday will soon be here. Will 
you start out with your uncle and help him find a 
church that suits him? I enjoyed the dinner very 
much, sister. I’m thankful to get away from the 
office to the edge of town this way once in a while. 
Good-by. 


HELPS FOR THE ACTORS 

Pick out the speeches that Stephen would say in a 
bored, careless manner. 

Pick out the speeches in which he would show more 
feeling, either interest, kindness or anger. 

What would he do before his fifth speech, or dur¬ 
ing it? 

His last five speeches, though short, are very impor¬ 
tant. Decide carefully just how he would say each of 
them, and what he would do before, during, and after 
each one, especially what he would do before his last 
speech. 

Pick out the parts where Mrs. Leslie would speak 
anxiously, where earnestly. 


SHOULD WE BE MORE THANKFUL? 


79 


Bertieshow was not really what you would call a 
movie. The real name for it is pantomime. 

Can you think of other stories that could he acted in 
this way? 


MORAL QUESTION 

The title of this play asks a question. Can you an¬ 
swer it, and give plenty of reasons for your answer? 


A CHRISTMAS LESSON 


CHARACTERS 


Tom Kelly 
Elizabeth 
Mr. Kelly 
Mrs. Kelly 


Miss Randolph 
Sam Alton 
Christmas Fairy 


Scene I 


Time: Ten days before Christmas. 

Place: Tom^s room. 

Enter Tom, who looks about carefidly. 

Tom. Well, I see no one is here. [He sits down and 
takes from his pocket a small leather purse. From 
this he takes four silver dollars, which he lays on the 
bed in a row as he counts them.'] 

Tom. One, two, three, four. One for dad, one for 
mother, one for sis, and one for Miss Randolph. A 
whole dollar apiece. ThatTl buy nicer presents than 
IVe ever given before. Let me see. School is out 
Friday, and the next day I’ll go down with Sam and 
get the presents. Sam knows a little gift shop where 
I can get just what I want for the money. Gee, I can 
hardly wait! I’ve had a hard time getting that money 
together, but I wasii’t going to be satisfied with any¬ 
thing less. I’m glad I have it, because I don’t know 
where I’d get any more now before Christmas. [He 
begins to put the money away. Footsteps are heard 


80 


A CHRISTMAS LESSON 


81 


approaching. He hastily shoves the purse into his 
coat,] 

Tom. Who is it? 

Enter Elizabeth. 

Tom. Oh, it^s you, Bess. 

Elizabeth. Yes, Tom, I wondered where you were. 

Tom {pulls her hair]. What^s it to you, where I am? 
After this, you keep out of my room unless I tell you 
to come in! 

Elizabeth. Now, Tom, donT be rough. I didn’t mean 
anything. You have such a quick temper! 

Tom {pulls her hair again, at which she begins to cry]. 
Don’t talk back to me now, sis. 

Elizabeth. Don’t now, Tom. 

Enter Mrs. Kelly. 

Mrs. Kelly. What is the matter, Betty? 

Elizabeth. Tom is teasing me, mother. 

Tom. Aw, I wouldn’t be so touchy! 

Mrs. Kelly. Tommy, I don’t know what to do with 
you. I wish you would change. You are growing 
worse every day. Come, now, for once be good, and 
bring in some wood for me. 

Tom. No, I won’t. Nothing doing. 

Enter Mr. Kelly. 

Mr. Kelly. Thomas, you must not speak in that tone 
to your mother. And you must do as she says. Go 
for the wood at once. 

Tom. I don’t know whether I will or not. 

Mr. Kelly hesitates a moment, then steps forward, 
takes Tom by the collar and leads him to the door. 


82 


SOME LITTLE PLAYS 


Me. Kelly. Now, Thomas, will you go for the wood 
or not? 

Tom. Yes. 

Mr. Kelly. Answer properly. 

Tom. Yes, sir. {He leaves.} 

Mr. Kelly. Jane, that hoy is a problem. 

Mrs. Kelly. Philip, I know it. No one knows how I 
worry about him. And yet I believe he has a great 
deal of good in him. 

Elizabeth. I should think he would show it then, at 
Christmas time! 

Mrs. Kelly. Well, we can only hope that something 
will make him turn over a new leaf. 

Scene II 

Time; After 8:00, next day. 

Place: Tom^s schoolroom. 

Discovered: Miss Pandolph seated at her desk. Tom 
is in his seat, looking out of the window. 

Miss Randolph. Come here, Thomas. 

Tom comes and stands at her desk. 

Miss Randolph. Thomas, arenT you getting tired of 
staying every night after school? 

Tom. Yes. 

Miss Randolph. And arenT you tired of having me 
speak to you so many times during the day? 

Tom. Yes. 

There is a pause. 

Miss Randolph. Thomas, I received a note from your 


A CHRISTMAS LESSON 


83 


mother to-day inviting me to spend Christmas day at 
your home. 

Tom. Uh-huh! Are you coming? 

Miss Randolph. I suppose so. I have made no other 
plans. 

Tom. We want you to come. 

Another pause. 

Miss Randolph. Thomas, I donT see how a boy that 
has such a lovely mother and father, and such a sweet 
little sister, can be so bad. Now why did you put ink 
on Allan’s white collar? Allan is a good little boy, 
and bothers no one. 

Tom. Allan is a Percy-kid. I don’t like him. 

Miss Randolph. And no sooner had I finished speak¬ 
ing to you about that than you reached over and 
pulled Pauline’s hair. 

Tom. I hate curls. 

Miss Randolph. Don’t you see that your actions take 
away from the pleasure I might have in visiting your 
home? Now will you try to do better after the holi¬ 
days? 

Tom. I don’t know. 

Miss Randolph rises suddenly and goes to the windowj 
looking out, with her hack toward Tom. 

Miss Randolph. You may go! Leave at once.—That 
boy is hopeless. 

Tom leaves, spedking softly to himself at the door, for 
he has heard her last words. 

Tom. She wouldn’t think I was so hopeless if she knew 
what I was going to spend on her for Christmas! 


84 


SOME LITTLE PLAYS 


Scene III 

Time: Four clock the same day. 

Place: Tom^s room. 

Enter Tom. 

Tom. I declare! Polks expect entirely too much of me. 
Now I suppose Miss Randolph expects me to behave 
like Allan. And I suppose dad and mother expect me 
to behave like Bess. And because I don’t, they think 
I’m no good. I think I’m pretty generous to spend 
all this money on folks that don’t think any more of 
me than they do. 

He puts his hand in his pocket to get out the purse. A 
startled expression comes over his face, for his pocket 
is empty. He rapidly searches all his pockets. No 
results. 

Tom. My four dollars! Oh, I must find them! 

He dashes out of the room. Pause. 

Enter Sam, Tom’s friend. 

Sam. Hello! Oh, Tom isn’t here. Well, I suppose he’s 
just left for a minute. I’ll wait for him. {Pause. 
Sam looks at the clock.'] 

Sam. Well, he’s a long time gone. I’ll only wait a 
couple of minutes more. 

Enter Tom, looking crestfallen. 

Sam. Hello, Tom. Why, what’s the matter, old chap ? 
You look as if something had hit you. 

Tom sinks into a chair and brushes his sleeve over his 
eyes. 


A CHRISTMAS LESSON 


85 


Tom. I can’t go with you Monday, Sam. 

Sam. Why not ? 

Tom. I ’ve lost my Christmas money, Sam. I’ve hunted 
for it all the way between here and the schoolhouse, 
and I couldn’t find it. I’m sure I had it when I left 
school. 

Sam. Tough luck, Tom. Some tramp has probably 
picked it up. But can’t you get any more ? 

Tom. With Christmas next Wednesday? I should say 
not! I’m out of luck. 

Sam. Too bad. You’ll just have to wait and give some¬ 
thing extra nice next year. 

Tom. Next year’s a long way off. 

Sam. So it is, but it can’t be helped. So long, Tom. 
See you again. 

Tom. Good-by. 


Sam leaves. 

Tom. I think that’s just a shame, after all my plans. 

Pause. He leans hack in his chair wearily. Gradually 
his eyes close. He is asleep. Enter the Chkistmas 
Faiky, who waves her wand over him a/nd calls softly. 

Fairy. Tom! Tom! 

Tom. Who are you ? 

Fairy. I am the Christmas Fairy, Tom, and I have 
something to say to you. 

Tom. Tome? 

Fairy. Yes, to you. Listen, Tom, I am glad you lost your 
four dollars.—Because that gives me the chance 
to tell you that you can make your father and mother, 
your sister and your teacher a much better present 
than anything you could buy with those four dollars. 


86 


SOME LITTLE PLAYS 


Nothing that you could buy, if you had four hundred 
dollars, would please them better than that you should 
change from a boisterous, surly, disobedient, trouble¬ 
some boy into a polite, cheerful, obedient, helpful and 
gentlemanly boy. And if you want to make your fam¬ 
ily, your teacher, and yourself a present that will give 
pleasure all the year round, that is just what you will 
do. Make them a present of a new boy. 

Tom. For such a pretty little fairy, you are rather 
hard on a fellow. 

Fairy. Not nearly so hard as I should be. But will you 
take my advice?—Come, Tom, you know I am right. 

Tom. Fairy, I do believe you are right. I begin to see 
just what I Ve been. Yes, I will take your advice. 

Fairy. You will never regret it, Tom. Farewell. 
waves her wand over him again and disappears. Tom 
wakes slowly, yawnsy and stretches his arms.'] 

Tom. Have I taken a nap? Where are you, fairy?— 
She is gone.—I wonder if that was a dream.—Well, 
even if she was only a dream fairy, I^m going to 
take her advice. 


Scene IV 

Time ; Christmas night. 

Place : The Kelly living-room. 

Discovered: Mr. Kelly, Mrs. Kelly, Miss Randolph 
and Elizabeth. 

Mr. Kelly. Wedl light the Christmas tree now and 
spend a pleasant little while sitting around it. 

He lights the candles. The others seat themselves and 
watch him. 


A CHRISTMAS LESSON 


87 


Mrs. Kelly. Miss Randolph, did you enjoy our Christ¬ 
mas dinner? 

Miss Randolph. My dear Mrs. Kelly, I have enjoyed 
the whole day very much indeed. As for the dinner, 
it was delicious. 

Mr. Kelly seats himself and looks around the room. 

Mr. Kelly. By the way, I wonder where Tom is. The 
boy has been unusually quiet all day. 

Mrs. Kelly. He has been very quiet indeed. And not 
only to-day, but for several days he has been so. 

Elizabeth. Yes, a change has come over him. 

Mrs. Kelly. I dare say Tom has gone to fetch his 
presents. I’m surprised he hasn’t brought them out 
before. Usually he is the first one. Miss Randolph, 
has he presented you with anything yet? 

Miss Randolph. Nothing so far. 

Mr. Kelly. Indeed. Well, I suppose he wanted to 
bring them all out together. But, why wait until 
evening? 

Elizabeth. I am anxious to see them. Tom always 
has good presents. I will say that for him. 

Enter Tom, quietly. He has no presents at all. Every¬ 
one exchanges glances. 

Mr. Kelly. Well, Thomas. 

Tom smooths his hair hack nervously and feels of his 
throat. 

Mrs. Kelly. What ’s the matter, Tom ? 

Tom. Please, I have nothing to give any of you this 
Christmas, because—because I lost my Christmas 
money at the last minute—four dollars—[He stops, 
smooths his hair again and feels of his throat.] 


88 


SOME LITTLE PLAYS 


Miss Eandolph. Poor boy! 

Elizabeth. Too bad, Tom! 

Tom. But I have something to say to you that I think 
you will all like just as well as anything I could have 
bought with the four dollars. [He stops again.] 
Mrs. Kelly. What is it, Tom! 

Tom. Mother, after this I am never going to refuse to 
get wood, or do anything else you or dad ask me to. 
Sis, I am going to stop teasing you. Miss Eandolph, 
I am going to try to behave like Allan. I am going to 
make you all a present of a new boy. Next year maybe 
Idl have some money to spend on you. [He turns 
hastily and leaves. The family laugh and applaud.] 
All. Hurrah for Tom! 

Finale 

The characters all stand in a semicircle about the 
Christmas tree, with the Christmas Fairy in front, and 
sing a carol. 


HELPS FOR THE ACTORS 

Notice Tom’s first speech in the play. There is some 
interesting little motion that should go with almost 
every sentence of it. See if you can decide what these 
motions all are. 

The same is true of all of iMr. Kelly’s speeches in 
Scene I. Decide about them. 

In Scene II Tom might speak in a saucy, flippant tone, 
or he might speak in a sulky, rather worried tone. 
Which do you think would be better! Why! 



Make You a Present of a New Boy” 
89 






















































90 


SOME LITTLE PLAYS 


Where in Scene III would Tom speak sadly! What 
must he do before he says Who are you!’’ to the fairy! 
In Scene IV when would he speak slowly, when fast! 
Notice the dashes throughout the play. Decide just 
what should be done in each of those places. 


MORAL QUESTION 

Do you ever feel sorry for Tom! If so, why! 

Was it a good thing for Tom to lose his four dollars! 
Why, do you think! 


A LESSON IN GEOGRAPHY 

CHARACTERS 
Hallie, age ten 

Howard, her brother^ almost twelve 
Mrs. Hensley Dr. Reynolds 

Wang Lee, Chinese boy 
Kiku San, Japanese girl 
Dhalwani, Hindu boy 
Miss Harrington, teacher 

Scene I 


Time: Late afternoon. 

Place : The play room of Howard and Hallie Hensley. 

Discovered: Hallie seated at a desk writing. 

Hallie. I am sure this will be the most interesting his¬ 
tory report in the class. It was so good of Miss Ken- 
sing to let me do it at home. I was a little afraid to 
tell her I didn’t think I could get up a good enough 
one in the regular study period. But she seemed quite 
pleased, and said she would he glad to have me take 
the extra time. 

Enter Howard. He slams a book down on the table. 

Howard. Oh, heck! 

Hallie. What is the matter, Howard! 

Howard. Gotta study joggerfy. Some special things 
to look up. Gee, as if I didn’t get enough of that stuff 
at school, without bringing any of it home. 

91 


92 


SOME LITTLE PLAYS 


Hallie. Now, Howard, I would advise you not to neg¬ 
lect geograpjiy this term. You know that was one 
reason you were demoted last term. Your arithmetic 
was weak, but you could read faster than anyone in 
your class (though you wouldnT put any expression 
into it) and if you had just been wide awake in some 
of the extra subjects, like geography especially, you 
might have made your grade. 

Howakd. Now, hush up. Don’t go over all that again. 
I Ve heard it enough. And I am doing better in other 
things, but I can’t like joggerfy, specially 5A jog- 
gerfy, all about Japs and Chinks, and Niggers and 
Hindus and such trash. No-account heathen. 

Hallie. Oh, Howard, I thought the geography of Asia 
and Africa was the most interesting of all. 

Howakd. Well, I don’t. It’s all foolishness, I tell you. 
But you oughta hear Miss Clavis rave about ’em. 
^‘Oh, children, sometimes I wish I could take you all 
over there and let you see how exquisitely polite the 
Japanese children are! American children are so far 
below them in that respect.” Just as if they were 
better’n us. And she hands out the same kind of a 
line about all of them. And here I’ve got to go all 
through with it again. Well, she can rave all she 
wants to. I know I’m better’n they are. 

Enter Mrs. Hensley. 

Mrs. Hensley. Children, you were talking so loud it 
disturbed me in the next room. Howard, I thought 
you came in here to study your geography. Your 
book is not even open. Now, mind, young man, I 
will not have you missing your grade again. 

Howard. Oh, all riglit. I’m starting now, ain’t I ? 

He sits down and opens his booh. 


A LESSON IN GEOGRAPHY 


93 


Mrs. Hensley. Dear, dear, what a rude boy. And your 
English is terrible. 

Howard. Now, mother, there ain’t a thing the matter 
with me except that I am a real hoy, and not a sissy. 
You know it. 

Mrs. Hensley. Well, I declare, I’m getting rather 
over the idea that it’s a compliment to a child to call 
him ‘ ‘ a real hoy. ’ ’ I wouldn’t mind it much, I’m sure, 
if you were a little more of a ‘‘sissy,” as you call it. 
Now study hard! 

Mrs. Hensley leaves, Howard studies for a while, 
frowning and screwing up his face a great deal. 
Then, noticing a Boy Scout hook on the table, he 
watches to see that his sister is not looking, sneaks 
it over, and puts it inside his geography. He begins 
to read and soon becomes deeply absorbed. 

Hallie. Howard Hamilton Hensley! You’re not 
studying geography at all! You’re reading that Boy 
Scout book. I’m going to tell mother. 

Howard. Hallie Hope Hensley! Don’t you dare! I’m 
tired of having you spying and tattling on me. You 
just keep still! 

Enter Mrs. Hensley with Dr. Reynolds. 

Mrs. Hensley. Well, children! 

Dr. Reynolds. Well, Hallie; well, Howard! 

Hallie. Why, Mr. Reynolds! We haven't seen you 
for so long. Why, I was just five years old when you 
went away. 

Howard. And I was seven. But I can remember just 
as plain when dad brought you home, and what a jolly 


94 


SOME LITTLE PLAYS 


summer we had with you with us. Why, Mr. Eeyn- 
olds! 

Dr. Eeynolds. Well, children, it^s nice to have you so 
glad to see me. Let’s see, you are over ten now, 
Hallie? And Howard almost twelve! Well, I declare. 
But it isn’t Mr. Eeynolds any more. It’s Dr. Eeyn¬ 
olds. 

Howard. You a doctor? How funny. Where’s your 
medicine case? Don’t you have to carry it all the 
time? 

Dr. Eeynolds. Ha ha! Well, you see, Howard, I’m 
not that kind of a doctor. I’m not an M. D., I’m a 

D. D. 

Hallie. What is that ? 

Dr. Eeynolds. A Doctor of Divinity, Hallie. That is 
to say, a preacher, who has studied more than some 
preachers have. You see, when I was visiting you 
folks I had almost finished my studies, and I would 
have worked on through the summer, but my health 
would not permit. But I got my B. D. the following 
year, and last year the seminary was kind enough to 
grant me a D. D. on account of some books I wrote. 
I’m rather proud of it, you may imagine. 

Howard. Well, well, you a swell preacher, and a book 
writer. But I think you’re just as nice as ever. 

Dr. Eeynolds. Thanks! 

Mrs. Hensley. Do sit down. Doctor. Children, sit 
down. Now, Hallie and Howard, you can’t imagine 
what Dr. Eeynolds is going to do. 

Hallie and Howard. No, what? 

Mrs. Hensley. He is studying at the College of Mis¬ 
sions. He is going to be a missionary. 


A LESSON IN GEOGRAPHY 


95 


Howard. A missionary ? Where to, Mr.—Dr. Reyn¬ 
olds? 

Dr. Reynolds. To India, Howard. I’m taking a little 
preliminary course in Hindustani now. I did think 
seriously of going to Africa. Then when I finally de¬ 
cided on Asia, I had an awful time choosing among 
Japan, China and India. They are all so interesting. 

Hallie. 0-o-oh. Dr. Reynolds, that’s kind of funny. 
Howard has to study all those countries in geography 
and he just hates them. 

Dr. Reynolds. Why, Howard! 

Howard. Well, Ido. How can you think of going over 
there ? 

Dr. Reynolds. Well, I can hardly think of anything 
else. 

There is an cmJcward pause, 

Howard. Say, in this college you’re at, are there any 
of them? 

Dr. Reynolds. Any of what ? 

Howard. Any Japs or Chinks or Niggers or Hindus? 

Mrs. Hensley. Howard! 

Howard. Aw, you know what I mean. 

Dr. Reynolds. Yes, I do, hut I’d rather you wouldn’t 
speak of them so. Yes, there are quite a few of them 
and people from other countries too. You see, they 
come here to study that they may go back and teach 
their people. 

Howard. Well, and say, are there any of their children 
here ? Any boys and girls, my size ? 

Dr. Reynolds. Why, yes, there are several children 
there now, some who came with their parents, and 
some exceptionally bright ones who came over with 
returning missionaries. They have some special 


96 


SOME LITTLE PLAYS 


classes for them at the college. Sometimes I visit 
them. And I can tell you, Howard, they are fine 
children. 

Howard. Aw, I say, are you coming here any more? 

Mrs. Hensley. Why, yes, it ^s a very long trolley ride, 
but the doctor has promised to visit us every once in 
a while. 

Howard. Well, can’t you bring some of them with you 
next time you come to see us? I’d—I’d like to meet 
them. 

Hallie. Oh, yes, so would I. 

Dr. Eeynolds. Why, I believe it can be managed. 

Howard. A Chink—oh, I mean a Chinese, and a Jap¬ 
anese, and a Hindu, anyway, if you can’t bring any 
more. 

Dr. Reynolds. Those are the ones you have to study 
especially, aren’t they, and the ones you hate the 
most? 

Howard. Aw, now! 

Mrs. Hensley. Do, doctor, see if you can bring some 
of the little folks out. It will be a great experience 
for the children, especially Howard. 

Dr. Reynolds. And quite an experience for the Orien¬ 
tal youngsters, too. I’ll make the best arrangements 
I can. 

Howard and Hallie. Goody! 

Mrs. Hensley. It is four o’clock. Do come down and 
have some tea and cake. Dr. Reynolds. 

Dr. Reynolds. Thank you, Mrs. Hensley. 

Mrs. Hensley. And children, you may come, too. 
We ’ll make it a really festive occasion. 


A LESSON JN GEOGRAPHY 


97 


Scene II 

Time: Four o'clock a week later. 

Place : The Hensley drawing-room. 

Enter Howard. He goes around and straightens the 
furniture. 

Howard. Gee, I can hardly wait. It’s time for them 
now. They ought to be here. 

Enter Mrs. Hensley and Hallie. 

Hallie. Oh, mother, look at Howard! Straightening 
things up, for once in his life! 

Howard. Now, say, don’t josh a feltow all the time. 
We don’t have visitors from abroad every day. Say, 
mother, I couldn’t find any Japanese or Chinese 
music, but I found this Hindu piece. See here. Don’t 
you think the Hindu boy would like it if we played it 
on the victrola! That would kind of make up for 
serving tea in the Japenese and Chinese way. 

Mrs. Hensley. Yes, Howard, I shouldn’t wonder if he 
would be quite interested. That’s thoughtful of you. 

Howard. You don’t think it would make him home¬ 
sick? 

Mrs. Hensley. No, I hardly think so. 

Dr. Reynolds’ voice is heard. 

Dr. Reynolds. Oh, Mrs. Hensley, come out into the 
hall a moment, please. Tell the children to stay in 
the drawing-room. 

Mrs. Hensley. Just a moment, children. Please sit 
down. 

She leaves. There is a slight pause, and then Dr. Rey¬ 
nolds comes in with Wang Lee. 


98 


SOME LITTLE PLAYS 


Dk. Reynolds. Howard and Hallie, this is Wang Lee, 
a Chinese boy who came to our college with a mission¬ 
ary friend of mine last year. Lee, this is Howard 
and Hallie Hensley. 

Howard. Oh, say, how de do. [He speaks awkwardly. 
Wang Lee shakes hands with him and hows to Hal¬ 
lie.] 

Wang Lee. I am delighted to meet the young friends 
of the so kind Dr. Reynolds. 

Howard. Oh, I say, how nice you speak English! 

Wang Lee. Thank you much, but I have studied the 
English three years now. I should speak it well, 
much better, I fear, than I do. 

Hallie. You speak it lots nicer than Howard, and he’s 
had it all his life. 

Wang Lee. The young lady pays me the kind compli¬ 
ment. 

Howard. But, I say. Dr. Reynolds, where are the 
others! Oh, heck! Excuse me. I forgot. WonT 
you both have chairs ! 

They sit down, Wang Lee saying ‘ ‘ Thank you. ’ ’ 

Hallie. But is he all you could bring. Dr. Reynolds ! 

Dr. Reynolds. No, I also brought a dear little Jap¬ 
anese girl, named Kiku San. She is such a thought¬ 
ful child. She feared you would be disappointed if 
she didnT come in Japanese costume, and she didnT 
want to wear it on the trolley car, so she brought it 
with her and your mother took her upstairs to put it 
on. 

Hallie. How nice of her! Here they come now. 
Enter Mrs. Hensley and Kiku. Everyone rises. 


A LESSON IN GEOGRAPHY 


99 


Dr. Reynolds. Friends, this is Kiku San. Kiku, these 
are Hallie and Howard Hensley. 

Kiku hows prettily. 

Kiku. I am so greatly pleased to meet the son and 
daughter of the kind Mrs. Hensley, and the young 
friends of the good Dr. Reynolds. Ah, I have for¬ 
gotten. In these United States, you do not so much 
bow as you shake the hands. 

She comes forward and shakes ham^ds with Hallie and 
Howard. They all sit agai/n. 

Hallie. It was so nice of you to bring your costume. 

Kiku. I am happy that you are pleased. My hair, you 
see, I cannot wear in the Japanese style, for since I 
come to these United States, I have it, what you call 
—^that word like a boy ’s name—^bobbed. 

Howard. It looks good that way. 

Hallie. Yes, indeed, Kiku. It looks very nice. 

Kiku. But I thank you. 

Dr. Reynolds. You must sing for us, Kiku. 

Wang Lee. Just indeed what I was on the point of my¬ 
self suggesting. 

Kiku. If you would indeed be pleased to hear me. 

Hallie. Oh, yes, I should say. Sing a real Japanese 
song. 

Kiku. To do that one would almost require some Jap¬ 
anese instruments to accompany one. But I will sing 
you the Japanese words to a little American hymn. 
[She sings. All applaud.^ 

Howard. That was real interesting, Idl say. But, Dr. 
Reynolds, ainT—isnT the Hindu boy coming? 

Dr. Reynolds. Yes, he should be here shortly. There 
was a special lecture he promised to attend with his 


100 


SOME LITTLE PLAYS 


English teacher, but he will be free right after that. 
I invited Miss Harrington to come along with him, 
as the boy might have trouble finding the way. Miss 
Harrington is a fine young lady. You will like her. 
She may go to India too. She has taken a special in¬ 
terest in this boy. He is a very fine boy, by the way, 
very fine. Ah! If I am not mistaken, there they are 
now. 

Exit Mrs. Hensley. 

Wang Lee. I know you will like Dhalwani, Master 
Howard. He is most intelligent and a true gentle¬ 
man. 

Enter Mrs. Hensley with Miss Harrington and Dhal¬ 
wani. Dr. Reynolds rises to meet them. 

Dr. Reynolds. Children, this is young Dhalwani. 
Dhalwani, my boy, I want you to meet my little 
friends, Howard and Hallie Hensley. 

Dhalwani hows low. 

Dhalwani. My pleasure is beyond expression in 
words. Permit me to introduce my beloved instruc¬ 
tor in English, Miss Harrington. 

Miss Harrington. I am glad to make your acquaint¬ 
ance, Hallie and Howard. 

All sit. 

Dr. Reynolds. lam glad you had the boy wear one of 
his turbans. Miss Harrington. I was anxious for the 
children to see how strikingly attractive they are. 
Much more becoming than a hat. 

Hallie. Will you wear one when you go to India, Dr. 
Reynolds ? 



“There Is No Other Land Jttst Like India” 

101 








































102 


SOME LITTLE PLAYS 


Dr. Reynolds. Ha, ha! No, I suppose I’ll have to be 
satisfied with a sun helmet. 

Howard slips around and starts the victrola. 

Dhalwani. Ah, how that resembles the music of my 
India! 

Howard. It’s supposed to be a Hindu chant. I thought 
you’d like it. 

Dhalwani. It calls back many memories. Sahib Doc¬ 
tor, does it not express the soul of India? 

Mrs. Hensley. It seems to me very sad music. 

Dhalwani. And the country of India is a sad country, 
madam. There is no other land just like it. 

Dr. Reynolds. And I think no other land, perhaps, so 
worthy of missionary etfort. 

Kiku. I ask your pardon, Dr. Reynolds, but I think 
all the countries are worthy. 

Miss Harrington. You are right, Kiku. All have 
great possibilities and are deeply interesting. 

Howard. I should say so. 

Mrs. Hensley. It is time for tea. Just five o’clock. 
Come into the next room, children. Miss Harrington. 

All leave except Dr. Reynolds arid Howard, who linger 
a moment, 

Howard. Say, doctor, I want to tell you something. 

Dr. Reynolds. Yes, my boy. 

Howard. I didn’t feel a bit like I was better than they 
was. I felt a whole lot like they was better’n me. I 
never felt like I wanted to be polite and use good 
English before, but I do now. I don’t care how 
much I’m called a sissy. And I just can’t hate geog¬ 
raphy any more. 


A LESSON IN GEOGRAPHY 


103 


Dr. Reynolds. Well, Howard, I'm very glad to hear 

this. Very glad. 

They turn to go. 

Howard. And Dr. Reynolds, when I grow up I think 

I 'll come out to India with you. 

HELPS FOR THE ACTORS 

This is another play where all you have to do is to 
act natural. But as we said before, that is not always 
easy. 

Where in Scene I would Howard rise from his seat? 
What would both children do when Dr. Reynolds first 
speaks to them? 

Plan carefully what each one would do during the 
awkward pause mentioned in Scene I. 

Pick out the places where Dr. Reynolds would smile 
or laugh when he speaks. Pick out the places where his 
voice would be especially serious, almost stern. 

Wouldn't it be a good idea to watch out for a chance 
to hear a real Japanese, Chinese or Hindu speak, and 
listen carefully to their accent, and then see how closely 
you could imitate them? 

Plan carefully just how you would have the people 
leave at the end of Scene 11, who would go first, etc. 
What might Dr. Reynolds do as he says his last speech? 
What might Howard do ? 

MORAL QUESTION 

Are Oriental children better than American chil¬ 
dren? 


THE SLEEPING BEAUTY 


CHARACTERS 

The King The Woodsman 

The Queen The Messenger 

The Princess The Page 

The Prince An Old Woman 

Several Courtiers 


Act I Scene I 

Time: Long, long ago. 

Place: The throne room of the palace. 

Enter the Page. 

Page. You all remember the story of how, long, long 
ago, in a grand old castle, a little baby princess was 
born. The king, the queen and every one in the castle 
considered her so beautiful a child that they named 
her Briar Rose, because that was the most beautiful 
flower that grew in that country. At a magnificent 
feast given in the baby^s honor, the fairies were in¬ 
vited and they presented her with gifts of grace, 
beauty and wit. But everything was spoiled at the 
end when a wicked old fairy rushed upon the scene 
and as her gift declared that the princess should live 
happy, possess all these gifts, and be greatly beloved 
until the age of fifteen, when she would prick her fin¬ 
ger on a spindle and die. Every one was greatly 
troubled. But the last little fairy, who had not yet 
declared her gift, came forward and changed the 


104 


THE SLEEPING BEAUTY 


105 


wicked fairy’s words to the effect that the princess 
should not die, but only fall asleep, with all her court, 
for a hundred years, and then he awakened by a 
handsome prince who should come from a far coun¬ 
try to break the spell. It is at this point in the story 
that our little play begins. 

Discovered: The King, the Queen and several cour¬ 
tiers. 

King. She shall prick—her finger—on a spindle—and 
die. 

Queen. Nay, 0 King, she shall not die, but only sleep 
for a hundred years. 

King. Heard you ever of any one sleeping for a hun¬ 
dred years and living to awake ? It is the same thing. 

Queen. Nay, my king, but the fairies are powerful. 

King. The wicked fairy is powerful, I know, and cun¬ 
ning. I fear for the little Briar Rose. 

Queen. Let us not think that evil will triumph over 
good. 

King. Nevertheless, I am afraid, I tell you. 

There is a pause. 

King. Ah, I have it. Hither, page. 

Page. What would your Majesty? 

King. Fetch hither the court messenger. 

Page. Your Majesty, I hasten to obey. [Bows 
deeply.] 

Exit the Page. Enter shortly the Messenger. 

Messenger. Your Majesty would speak with me? 

King. Aye, hear me. Issue a proclamation to the 
people that every spindle in the land must be de- 


106 


SOME LITTLE PLAYS 


stroyed. In a week guards shall search every house. 
Anyone found possessing a spindle will be cast into 
prison. In the future, a search will be made every 
month. You understand? 

Messengek. Your Majesty, I understand. Trust me. 

Not a spindle shall be overlooked. 

King. It is well. You are dismissed. 

Exit Messenger. 

King. Now, dear queen, I feel as if our little Briar 
Rose were safe. 


Scene II 

Time: Fifteen years later. 

Place : A room in the palace. 

The Queen and the Princess are seen. 

Queen. My daughter, to-morrow is your fifteenth 
birthday. What would you wish for a present? 

Princess. Indeed, mother, I hardly know. I have so 
many things. I think I would rather not have any 
more presents for a while. 

Queen. Would you like a party, then, Briar Rose? 

Princess. Oh, no, mother, I am tired of parties. But 
I think I would like very much to take a long ride 
with you and father into the country, and then we 
could eat supper together in my little room. 

Queen. I donT know, daughter. Both your father 
and I are very busy people attending to affairs of 
state. But I will see if it can be arranged. We ought 
to be able to give one day to our little daughter. 

Princess. I hear the king’s footsteps without. Let us 
ask him. 


THE SLEEPING BEAUTY 


107 


Enter the Kjng. 

King. Make haste and prepare, my queen, for to-mor¬ 
row at sunrise we must set out on a journey. 

Queen. Your Majesty! What journey, pray tellf 

King. My cousin, the Duke of Grayfeld, has for the 
first time in his life invited me to visit him. We shall 
dine with him to-morrow and perhaps arrange an al¬ 
liance. The duke is a powerful ruler, and I am glad 
to have his friendship. 

Princess. Shall you take me also, father % 

Kjng. My child! You are too young. I am afraid we 
must leave you at home. 

Queen. My dear, have you forgotten that to-morrow 
is the princess’ fifteenth birthday? 

King. Ah, that is true. 

Princess. And I had hoped that you and mother would 
be with me all day and join in a little birthday supper 
at night. 

King. I am sorry to leave you, my child. But it can¬ 
not be helped. However, do not be sad. The visit 
will only last a day and we shall probably be home 
to-morrow before sunset. The duke’s castle is not 
far otf, and we shall use the swiftest horses. If we 
are not too tired, we may then have supper with you. 

Princess. I shall be looking for you. 

Queen. While w^e are gone, you may do anything you 
please to amuse yourself, provided you do not leave 
the castle grounds. 

Princess. Thank you, mother. 

She trips out. 

King. The child is everything the fairies said she 
would be. Surely a lovelier and sweeter-tempered 
maiden never lived. 


108 


SOME LITTLE PLAYS 


Scene III 

Time: Late afternoon, the following day. 

Place: The attic room. 

Discovered : An old woman spinning. 

Enter the Princess Briar Rose. 

Princess. What a strange room! How queer that I 
never before noticed the strange, narrow little stair¬ 
way that leads up here. Perhaps I should not be 
wandering about in this way. But I am so tired of 
waiting for father and mother! However, it is al¬ 
most time for them to be here. ITl only look around 
a little more and then go downstairs again.—Good 
evening, goody. What are you doing here?—Did 
you hear me, goody? I asked what you were doing 
here. What is this strange wheel?—Ah, she must 
be deaf.—I am very curious about that Avheel. I 
believe I will go up close and look at it.—Now, I do 
wonder what this sharp thing is. Perhaps I should 
not touch it, but I believe I will feel of it just once. 
—Oh, I have pricked my finger! 

She falls prostrate. 

Act II Scene I 

Time: One hundred years later. 

Place : The Enchanted Forest. 

Enter Prince Charming. 

Prince. This is a strange forest. Never did I see one 
so dark, so gloomy or so dense. And the gleaming 

























110 


SOME LITTLE PLAYS 


white towers of yon castle that I have followed for so 
many a day seem as far away as ever. There must 
be some magic spell upon this place. 

Enter the Woodman. 

Woodman. Good day to you, fair prince. 

Prince. I thank you, woodman. Now hark; can you 
tell me aught of this dense forest or of yon distant 
castle? 

Woodman. Only an old tale, prince, which my grand¬ 
father told my father, and my father told me. A very 
old tale. 

Prince. Tell on. 

Woodman. ^Tis whispered that a hundred years ago 
a magic spell fell upon yon castle, cast by a wicked 
fairy, causing all who were within to fall into a deep 
slumber, while outside this enchanted forest sprang 
up, darkening the doors and windows. And Tis also 
said— 

Prince. Yes, yes! 

Woodman. That in a little garret room of the castle, 
there sleeps a lovely princess, awaiting the time when 
a handsome prince shall come and slip a ring upon 
her finger, and thus break the spell which binds her 
and her court. Then shall this darksome thicket van¬ 
ish away, and the whole castle shall awake to a glad¬ 
some springtime. Of course, the prince and the 
princess— 

Prince. Enough, enough! I go! 

He dashes off. 

Woodman. It must be a hundred years since the spell 
was cast. 
























112 


SOME LITTLE PLAYS 


Scene II 

Time: Some hours later. 

Place: The attic roojn. 

Enter Pkince Chaeming, 

Prince. What a strange, strange place! Dark, damp 
and ghostly. Guards sleeping at the portals, cooks 
sleeping in the kitchen, a king and a queen, dressed as 
for a journey, sleeping in the court room, with many 
attendants sleeping about them. And I could waken 
none of them.—This must be the little garret room. 
And of course, this must be the princess I am to 
awaken.—Ah, how beautiful she is! She is far 
lovelier than I ever dreamed. Let me make haste to 
waken her.—Beautiful princess, awake. 

Princess. Ah, dear prince, so you have come at last. 
And the spell is broken. 

Scene III Tableau 

Discovered: Queen, Prince, Princess and King. 
Enter the Page, who hows. 

Page. And they lived happily ever after. 

HELPS FOR THE ACTORS 

This play, as will be explained to you later, is written 
to be acted with a puppet stage. It could, however, be 
acted like any other play. And in any case, the same 
rules hold good. 

How would the king say his first speech? Would he 
say the second one in the same way? 


THE SLEEPING BEAUTY 


113 


In the ensuing conversation, when would it be good 
for the king to stride up and down several times? 

What four motions would the king make with his 
hand during the rest of the first scene ? 

In the attic room scene be sure you decide carefully 
just what the princess would do in each place where you 
see dashes. 

How could the prince show his eagerness and interest 
as he listens to the woodman in the Enchanted Forest? 

What would he do where you see the dashes in the 
last scene? 

Do you know what a tableau is ? 


MORAL QUESTION 

Do you think this play is really intended to teach any 
lesson? Can you give reasons for your answer? 


THE MAGIC MASK 

CHARACTERS 


Prince Orsino 
Princess Edith 
Page 


The Court Wise Man 
The Court Magician 
Peasants 


Act I Scene I 


Time : Morning. 

Place: A village roadside. 


Discovered: ^ 0/Peasants. 


First Peasant. Have you Reard, friends ? The prince 
is to pass through the village to-day, on his way to 
the capital. 

Second Peasant. Ah, the tyrant Orsino! 

First Peasant. Tyrant he may he, but he is a bold 
warrior, too, and in a way, a good ruler. He keeps 
good order in his kingdom, and no other prince here¬ 
abouts has such a large kingdom to manage. 

Third Peasant. A fine looking man he is, too. I ad¬ 
mire him. 

His Daughter. Oh, his face is too harsh and stern to 
be handsome. 

First Peasant. He is a good commander. They say 
no one ever thinks of disobeying his orders. 

Second Peasant. No, because they are so afraid of 
him. It is not a good man whom every one fears. 

First Peasant. Nevertheless, Orsino is just, ^ and— 


114 


THE MAGIC MASK 


115 


Third Peasant's Daughter. Hark! I hear the blare 
of a trumpet. 

Enter the Page on horseback. 

Page. Make way, make way, for the mighty prince, the 
powerful warrior, Orsino! Make way for Orsino 1 

The Peasants all stand hack. The Prince rides by in 
silence. 

Second Peasant. Did you mark that, now? How he 
rode by without turning his proud head an inch ? And 
paying no more heed to us than if we were so many 
flies! Now, a decent prince would have tossed down 
a coin or two, or at least spoken a pleasant word. 

Third Peasant. His wars are much upon his mind. He 
was deep in thought. Does he not look well in armor ? 

His Daughter. Yes, because his face is hid. 

Scene II 

Time: Some weeks later. Late afternoon. 

Place: A neighboring kingdom. 

Enter the Prince on horseback. 

Orsino. I have heard much of this kingdom, but have 
never before passed through it. This is a very beau¬ 
tiful palace.—I should like to see the princess of 
this country. I have heard that she is extremely beau¬ 
tiful, and as good and kind as she is beautiful. Her 
people are said to be very fond of her. 

Enter the Page. 

Page. Your Highness need not have waited for me. 


116 


SOME LITTLE PLAYS 


Oksino. I was not waiting for you, boy. I only paused 
to admire this palace. 

Page. And perhaps to catch a glimpse of the Princess 
Edith ? 

Pkince. Be careful, boy. 

Page. Do not be angry. Highness. But you may see 
her if you wish. Only glance quickly at yon upper 
window. She is standing there now, looking out. 

Oksino. Ah, I see her. She is indeed beautiful. But 
let us ride on. We must not be caught staring in this 
way. And we must reach home by nightfall. 

They ride on. 

Scene III 

Time; A few days later. 

Place : The royal palace hall. 

Discovered: The Prince standing by his throne, the 
Page standing near. 

Oksino. Hither, page. 

Page. Your Highness? 

Oksino. Fetch the Court Wise Man hither. 

Page. Your Highness, I obey. [Bows as he leaves.} 

Enter the Wise Man shortly. 

Wise Man. Your Highness would speak with me ? 

Oksino. Aye. Old man, I am thinking of being mar¬ 
ried. 

Wise Man. Indeed, fair sir! 

Oksino. Hear me. Am I not the most powerful prince 
on the continent! 


THE MAGIC MASK 


117 


Wise Man. Undoubtedly, great Orsino. 

Oksino. Am I not the bravest warrior anywhere? 

Wise Man. Assuredly, mighty prince. 

Oksino. When I stand in the topmost tower of my 
castle, does not all, as far as the eye can reach, belong 
to me? 

Wise Man. It does, your Highness. 

Oksino. Would any princess refuse me? 

Wise Man. No princess in her right mind, sire. . 

Oksino. I am deeply in love with the princess in the 
north kingdom. Send her a proposal of marriage by 
,my most faithful page. Let it reach her to-morrow. 

Wise Man. But the princess does not know your High¬ 
ness. She has never met you. 

Oksino. Send with the proposal of marriage an invi¬ 
tation for the princess and her court to visit me at 
this castle for a fortnight. At the end of that time 
she will surely have made up her mind to accept me. 

Wise Man. I will carry out your orders. Highness. 
Shall I also order that the palace be thoroughly 
cleaned and well decorated? 

Oksino. Yes; let the south wing be especially prepared 
for the visitors. 

Wise Man. It shall be as you wish, Highness. 

Scene IV 

Time : The following day. 

Place : The room of the Pkincess Edith. 

Discovered: The Pkincess standing by the window. 

Edith. I wonder if that noble looking prince in the sil¬ 
ver armor whom I saw the other day will ever ride by 


118 


SOME LITTLE PLAYS 


again. I think, from the banner that his attendant 
carried, that he must be the great prince of the south 
kingdom, Orsino. His helmet hid his face, but I think 
he must be very handsome. I have heard tales of his 
bravery in war, and other tales of the heavy hand 
with which he rules his people. I wonder if he is in¬ 
deed so very harsh. 

A knock is heard, 

Edith. Enter. 

Enter Page. 

Page. Here is a letter, your gracious Highness, 
brought by a servant of Prince Orsino of the south 
kingdom. He begs an immediate answer. 

Edith. Thanks, Allan. Permit me to go to the light 
and read it. 

She goes hack to the window, reads the letter, then re¬ 
turns to the Page. 

Edith. Take this letter, my good Allan, to the Chan¬ 
cellor and bid him prepare an answer. Let him say 
in the answer, that the first part of this letter cannot 
be immediately answered, but that the Princess Edith 
and her court will be pleased to visit the kingdom of 
Prince Orsino, and will arrive within ten days. 

Page. Your royal Highness, I obey. 

Exit Page. 

Edith. It is some time since I have visited another 
ruler. I shall enjoy traveling again. But if this Or¬ 
sino is as stern and harsh as he is supposed to be, I 
shall not marry him, no matter how rich, or powerful. 


THE MAGIC MASK 


119 


or brave he is. My prince must be gentle, courteous 
and kind-hearted. 


Act II Scene I 

Time : A day later. 

Place: The Pkince^s castle hall. 

Discovered: The Prince standing in deep thought. 

Orsino. Ah, in ten days I shall see her again! What 
a long time that is! And yet sometimes it seems all 
too short. I do not feel ready to meet her. After 
all, I suppose one may be rich, powerful and famous, 
and still not be the sort of man that a beautiful and 
tender-hearted princess would want for a husband. 
These are strange thoughts for me, and yet they will 
come into my mind. I am restless, too. I have done 
nothing but pace back and forth all day. 

He walks to the end of the hall and halts in front of a 
long mirror. 

Orsino. Ha, what is this ? Who is this staring at me 
out of the wall ? He has rich velvet and silk clothing 
exactly like mine, and he has curling black hair as I 
know mine is. And his eyes are large and dark as I 
know mine are. But look at that frowning brow, with 
the wrinkles in it! And how the mouth turns down at 
the corners, and what deep, harsh lines there are 
about its corners! He is trying to smile now, but 
what a stiff, unnatural smile it is! Ah, it must be I. 
And this is one of the mirrors that was to be put up. 
But do I look like that? Now I know the lovely prin- 


120 


SOME LITTLE PLAYS 


cess will not have me! Something must be done. Ho, 
page! 

The Page comes running in. 

Page. What would your Highness ? 

Oksino. Call in the Court Wise Man! 

Exit the Page. Enter the Wise Man. 

Wise Man. Your Poyal Highness? 

Orsino. Sir, why did you not tell me what an ugly mon¬ 
ster I am ? Why did you not tell me what a forbidding 
face I have ? 

Wise Man. Sire, I could not. 

Orsino. True, you did not dare. But now help me. 
Something must be done at once to change my looks 
before the princess arrives! 

Wise Man. Highness, you ask too much. Who can 
change a face in ten days? I cannot help you. 

Orsino. You cannot! 

Wise Man. I cannot. The only person who might pos¬ 
sibly help you is the Court Magician. 

Orsino. Call him at once! 

Exit the Wise Man. Enter shortly the Court Magician. 

Magician. Your Highness called me. 

Orsino. Aye. Did the Wise Man tell you what I wish ? 

Magician. He did. Your Highness asks a hard thing. 

Orsino. Nevertheless, you must do it, I say. 

Magician. There is only one thing to do. I must make 
you a magic mask. It will be made of thinnest wax, 
and will fit over your face. It will look exactly like 
you except that the forehead will be smooth instead 
of wrinkled, the corners of the mouth will be turned 


^ * Sire, I Could Not ! ’ ’ 


121 


























































122 


SOME LITTLE PLAYS 


up instead of down, and the whole expression will 
be pleasant and kind. You will wear it at all times. 

Oksino. a thousand thanks, good sir! Make it at 
once! 

Magician. On one condition! 

Oksino. Name it. 

Magician. I can make you only one such mask. When 
you once fit your face to the magic mask, you must 
constantly wear that pleasant and kind expression. 
One harsh frown, one cruel smile, and the mask will 
be cracked and ruined forever. To avoid this, you 
must speak only kind words, you must do only 
gracious deeds, and you must think only beautiful 
thoughts. Do you understand ? 

OnsiNo. I understand, and I shall not forget. 

Magician. Then the mask will be ready for you in 
three days. 


Scene II 

Time: Three days later. 

Place : The same room. 

Enter the Pkince. 

Orsino. Ah, at last I have on the mask. How strange 
my face feels! But it is a rather pleasant feeling, 
too. Ah, there is that mirror. I must see how I look. 

He goes over to the mirror. 

Orsino. Ah, a pleasant change indeed! I am really 
handsome now. And how agreeable I look! I seem 
to be ten years younger. I do not see how I could 
fail to please the princess now. But I must be very 
careful and not spoil it. 


THE MAGIC MASK 


123 


Scene III 

Time : Three weeks later. 

Place : The same. 

Enter the Princess Edith. 

Princess. My visit is nearly at an end. I dare say 
that Orsino will soon approach me again upon the 
subject of marriage. And I really cannot refuse him. 
Surely those stories of his harsh and heavy dealing 
with the people of his kingdom cannot be true. 
There could not be a more charming, gracious and 
kind-hearted prince. And he is even handsomer than 
I expected. Ah, I think I hear his step in the hall! 

Enter the Prince. 

Orsino. Good morning, fair princess. 

Edith. Good morning to your Highness. 

Orsino. May I ask if you have been pleased by the en¬ 
tertainment in my castle ? 

Edith. Sir, we have never received more royal treat¬ 
ment than in this place. You have made our visit a 
delightful one. 

Orsino. May I then ask if you are equally well pleased 
with him who has provided this entertainment I 

Edith. Indeed, your Highness, I cannot but say that 
I am. 

Orsino. Then, beautiful Edith, dare I really expect 
that you will marry me? 

Edith. You may expect it. 


124 


SOME LITTLE PLAYS 


Act III Scene I 

Time: Several months later. 

Place: A village roadside. 

Discovered: A group of peasants. 

First Peasant. Truly, friends, this change in our 
prince is little short of marvelous. 

Second Peasant. I for one cannot understand it. But 
here he comes now. Let us draw near. I like to look 
into his changed face. 

Third Peasant's Daughter. Yes, he is really good 
looking now. 

Enter the Prince. 

Orsino. Good day, kind folk. Have you aught to ask 
of your prince to-day? 

Peasants. Nothing, Highness. 

Prince. Nevertheless, my wife wished me to give you 
this purse of gold, sir, to distribute as you think best. 

The First Peasant takes the purse. 

First Peasant. Her Highness is very kind. 

Orsino. Indeed, yes. It is her wish, and mine also, 
that there should never be want or injustice in the 
kingdom. 

He passes on, nodding and smiling. 

Third Peasant. After all, friends, there is nothing so 
mysterious in the change that has come over the 
prince. He has married the loveliest princess in the 
world. Living with her would change any man, if he 


THE MAGIC MASK 


125 


had a heart of stone, and if he were eighty instead 
of thirty-five. 

First Peasant. Yes, it is his wife that has changed 
him, without a doubt. 

Scene II 

Time : A week or so later. 

Place : The castle hall. 

Discovered: The Prince, walking ivith slow and 
thoughtful step. 

Orsino. What is the matter with me? I have every¬ 
thing to make a man happy. I am married to the 
dearest princess in the world and she certainly loves 
me a great deal. My subjects worship me. Each of 
my servants tries to do more for me than the others. 
But I am not happy. I am sad. 

He goes over cmd stands before the mirror, 

Orsino. And yes, yes, I am afraid I know why it is. 
I am not living an honest life. My subjects and all 
about me think that I am generous and merciful and 
good, when really I am harsh and cold and hard¬ 
hearted. They think that my face is handsome and 
kind and noble, when really it is dark and stern and 
forbidding. And the princess thinks as they all. I 
am deceiving her whom I love better than anyone 
in the world.—But I will deceive her no longer. I 
will call the magician and have the magic mask taken 
off!—But if I do that, and the princess sees me 
as I really am, perhaps she will leave me, and then 
I should be miserable.—Nevertheless, I will do it. 


126 


SOME LITTLE PLAYS 


I will do right, no matter what it costs. Ho, magi¬ 
cian, magician! 

Enter the Magician, alarmed. 

Magician. What ails your Highness f 

Orsino. Take off the magic mask, sir! I will hide my 
true self no longer! 

Magician. Take off the magic mask? Highness, you 
are mad! Stop tearing at those fastenings! Think 
a moment. Prince Orsino! Ah, it is too late! There 
is a big crack in it now. It is ruined forever! 

Orsino. I care not, I care not! Now at last the thing 
is otf. Into the tire it goes. Now I am an honest 
man! 

Magician. I shall leave, Highness. I hear your wife . 
approaching. 

Eccit Magician. 

Orsino. My wife is coming! Let me hide!—No, that 
would be cowardly. I will remain and face her. 

Enter the Princess. 

Orsino. Good morning, Edith. 

Edith. Good morning, my dear. I came to get this 
cloak to give to a poor woman. Excuse me for a few 
moments. I shall return presently. 

She takes the cloak and leaves. The Prince staggers 
hack agamst the wall. 

Orisno. How strange! She looked straight at me and 
seemed to notice nothing! Her voice was as kind as 
ever.—Can it be—? 

He approaches the mirror and studies his reflection. 



^Good Morning, Edith 



















128 


SOME LITTLE PLAYS 


Oksino. I see now, I see! My face lias grown to look 
exactly like the magic mask! All the while that I 
thought I was only pretending to he good and kind, 
my heart was really becoming changed as well as my 
face. It must be that I not only seem to be, but indeed 
am, a different man. The magic mask has changed 
not only my face but my nature. 


HELPS FOR THE ACTORS 

This play is also written for the puppet stage. It is 
a splendid old fairy tale that you cannot help liking. It 
is interesting all the way through, and in places quite 
exciting. Yet there is a deeper touch to it than to the 
average fairy tale, and you want to bring this out in 
your voices. There is nothing babyish about the play, 
nor any of the characters in it. 

What speeches in Scene I would be spoken angrily? 

In what two different tones would Orsino speak in 
Scene II? 

Would he probably speak in much the same tone all 
through Scene III ? 

What might he do all during his first speech in 
Act II? 

Would he speak to the wise man any differently than 
in the former act ? 

When would the magician speak slowly and impres¬ 
sively? 

The dashes in the last scene of the play are signifi¬ 
cant. Decide just how to interpret them. How can you 
bring out the exciting scenes of the play? 


THE MAGIC MASK 


129 


MORAL QUESTION 

Was the prince a really bad man to start with? Give 
proof for yonr answer. 

^nld you have felt as he did about thd magic mask 
being dishonest? 

Supposing his face had not changed? How would 
you end the play then? 

What was the secret of the change produced by the 
magic mask? 

Which speech of Orsino explains the change the magic 
mask made in him? 


THE BLUE ROBIN* 

CHARACTERS 


King Chrysanthemum 


Queen Yolanda 
Princess Honey 
Lord Dandelion 
Lord Hollyhock 
Lord Thistle 


The Wise Man 


POPPY^ 

Phlox 


Petunia 

Page 


Act I Scene I 


Time: Afternoon. 

Place: A room in the palace. 

Discovered: King Chrysanthemum is seen walking 
hack and forth. He finally stops by the window. 

King. Alas, alas, my poor country! It is becoming 
more and more divided over this troublesome ques¬ 
tion: Is there, or is there not, a Blue Eobin! Some 
of my people deny flatly that there is, or ever was one. 
But on the other hand there are so many people who 
insist that there is one, too. Dear, dear, it is so 
puzzling! My poor brain is in a whirl. 

Enter Queen Yolanda with Princess Honey. 

Queen. Ah, there you are, my dear. But looking so 
troubled. AVhat ails you? 

^Adapted from the story of the same name by kind permission of its 
author, Mary E. Wilkins Freeman. 


130 



THE BLUE ROBTN 


131 


King. Ah, my dear Yolanda, it is just as usual. I am 
racking my poor head about this troublesome Blue 
Robin question. 

Queen. Come, my Chrysanthemum, donT think about 
it so much. Do brighten up, now, and look at our 
little Princess Honey here. Is she not sweeter every 
day? 

King. If possible, indeed. How is my little one to¬ 
day? 

Princess. Nicely, father dear. I am five years old to¬ 
day, you know. I am growing up. 

King. So you are, indeed. Ah, my dear Yolanda, hoAv 
happy we could be, if it were not for this Blue Robin 
affair. I received a letter from my old friend King 
Sadaio, of the seaside kingdom, and he says they are 
much disturbed by the sea serpent. But I’m sure it 
couldn’t be any worse than this. 

Queen. There you go again. But seriously, it is a 
great bother. The women all over the kingdom are 
forming clubs to discuss the question. I constantly 
receive invitations to speak before these clubs. 

Princess. And oh, father, I saw the funniest sight 
when I was out riding yesterday. Two women going 
to a Blue Robin club, with a child at each apron 
string crying, ^ ^ I want to go hunting the Blue Robin! 
I want to go hunting the Blue Robin! ’ ’ 

King. Yes, the schools are much troubled with truancy 
on that account. 

Queen. Well, my dear, I repeat, don’t worry about it 
so much. Be neutral on the subject. 

King. A very difficult task, my queen, when every one 
else in the kingdom is either F. B. R., For Blue Robin, 
or A. B. R., Against Blue Robin. 


132 


SOME LITTLE PLAYS 


Queen. True, but cheer up, anyway. And pay more 
attention to dear little Honey. 

King. Yes, yes, the little darling. Do you remember, 
Yolanda, what a time we had finding a name for her? 

Queen. Ah, yes. Everybody in the kingdom having a 
flower name, she must have one too; but we could 
think of no flower so sweet as she was. 

King. And then you finally thought that only the in¬ 
most sweetness of all the flowers would do, and so we 
called her Honey. 

Peincess. And is that what I ^m really like, father ? 

King. Yes, sweetheart, only nicer than even that. Ah, 
who comes here ? 

Enter the Page, bowing. 

Page. Your Majesty. 

King. N ow, what’s up ? 

Page. The chief lords earnestly desire speech with yen 
in the council chamber. Majesty. 

King. All right, tell them I’m on my way. 

Page. I fly to do your Majesty’s bidding. 

Exit Page. 

King. Some more about the Blue Robin, IT1 wager. 
Dear me, sometimes I think I wasn’t cut out to be a 
king. Well, see you later, my dears. 

Scene II 

Time : Immediately after. 

Place: The council chamber. 

Discovered: Several of the lords standing around. 

Enter King Chkysanthemum. 

King. Well, my lords, what’s on your minds now, may 
I ask? Speak up, Lord Thistle. 


THE BLUE ROBIN 


133 


Thistle. Majesty, I will be brief. 

King. Yes, do. 

Thistle. Your Majesty probably knows that the Par¬ 
liament is in turmoil. First the A. B. B.’s will be 
in power, and then the F. B. R. ’s. 

King. Dear, dear! Yes, I know it’s awful. 

Thistle. But probably you don’t know. Majesty, that 
of late there have been riots about it. 

King. Bless my soul! Biots? 

Thistle. I speak truth. Majesty. Lord Hollyhock, de¬ 
scribe to his Majesty what we saw this morning. 

Lokd Hollyhock. In our carriage this morning, sire, 
we passed by a house with a Blue Robin painted on 
the front door. Suddenly an angry mob of A. B. R. ’s 
rushed into sight. They threw sticks and stones at 
at the house. Finally, two of them pulled open the 
door, rushed into the house, dragged out the owner, 
and compelled him to wash otf the picture. 

King. Gracious, you don’t mean it I 

Hollyhock. Lord Thistle and Lord Dandelion, do I 
speak the truth or no ? 

Dandelion. Hollyhock has given you the exact details. 
Majesty. But you may be sure that as soon as the 
A. B. R. ’s are in power again, that man will go and 
organize an F. B. R. mob and force some of his perse¬ 
cutors to paint Blue Robins on their doors. And pay 
for the paint, too I 

Hollyhock. Lord Dandelion is doubtless right. This 
is only the beginning of mob violence. 

King. Alas, alas, my poor country! Advise me, my 
lords. I’m quite at a loss. 

Hollyhock. My liege, I have one little hope left. 

King. Ah, my good Hollyhock, tell us of it. 


134 


SOME LITTLE PLAYS 


Hollyhock. There is a very wise man who wanders 
about in the fields adjoining the capitol. He is—well 
—rather a—a— 

Handeliok. a queer customer. 

Hollyhock. Ah, well, yes, you might put it that way. 
He has made himself a dwelling of brown canvas and 
umbrella ribs which is strapped to him. Thus he car¬ 
ries his house about with him. He eats only berries, 
roots and herbs. But he is very, very wise. We might 
consult him, at least before giving up in despair. 

King. Good, good! We will consult him. ITl send a 
committee to ask his advice. A committee of one A. 
B. E. and one F. B. E. and a chairman. Lord Holly¬ 
hock, you shall be the F. B. E., and Lord Thistle, you 
shall be the A. B. E. Lord Dandelion, you shall be 
the chairman. You’re neutral, aren’t you? 

Dandelion. Well, no, I’m not neutral. Majesty. I’m 
rather an F. B. E. 

King# Oh pshaw! 

Dandelion. Well, well, for the sake of my country I’ll 
be good natured, and pretend I’m neutral. 

King. That’s a good fellow. And now, my lords, you 
start early to-morrow, and luck go with you! And 
excuse me, I must go and tell the Queen! 


Scene III 


Time: A week later. 

Place : A pasture where huckleberries grow. 

Enter the committee. 

Thistle. Mercy, but my feet are sore! Do you realize 
that this committee has been marching for a week in 


THE BLUE ROBIN 


135 


pursuit of this wise man ? I thought you said he was 
in the fields near by, Lord Hollyhock. 

Hollyhock. Well, so he was, but you know he travels 
all over the kingdom in search of wisdom. 

Dandelion. It strikes me as awfully queer about a 
man carrying a house around with him, like a turtle 
in his shell, anyway. 

Hollyhock. Hush, my Lord Chairman, here he is! 

Dandelion. At last! Let us go to meet him and make 
our bows, my lords. All hail. Wise Man! 

Thistle. Look, Hollyhock, he has the curtain of the 
window over one eye pulled down. 

Hollyhock. Of course. There is so much wisdom in 
both his eyes, no one could understand it. So he only 
shows one of them. 

Dandelion. Wise man, there is no need to describe to 
you the terrible situation in our country. You in your 
great wisdom already know it all. Now we pray you, 
advise us. Tell us what to do. For we must do some¬ 
thing. We breathlessly await your advice. 

There is a long pause. 

Dandelion. Dear me, a half hour has passed and he 
hasn't said a word. I told you to let me bring my red 
plush rocking-chair. The idea of a chairman without 
a chair. No chairman ever needed one worse, I'm 
sure. 

Hollyhock. Sh-h, he is clearing his throat! 

Another long pause. 

Dandelion. Mercy, isn't he going to say a thing? 

Thistle. I fear not. Another half hour has passed. 


136 


SOME LITTLE PLAYS 


Wise Man. Ideas—are not so thick—as huckleber¬ 
ries—in this pasture. 

Dandelion. That^s true, all right. But, old man, it 
doesn’t help us any, you know. 

Another long pause. 

Thistle. Another half hour! My poor feet! 

Hollyhock. And look, he is starting away! 

Dandelion. Stop! Stop! 

All Thkee. Stop! Stop! 

Dandelion. Don’t go away without giving us some ad¬ 
vice. Please, please! 

Wise Man. Offer a reward! 

Dandelion. For what? For what? 

Wise Man. For finding the Blue Eobin. [He disap¬ 
pears.'] 

Dandelion. We have our answer, my lords. Let us 
hasten back. 

Act II Scene I 

Time : A month or so later. 

Place : The home of Poppy. 

Enter Poppy. 

Poppy. Dear me, I’m tired. But I have the house 
cleaned up, and the twins in bed. I wanted to cut out 
their little dresses to-day, too, but it’s too late now. 
I’ll just do some mending and then go to bed myself. 

Phlox, a hoy friend, appears at the window. 

Phlox. Hello, Poppy! Why aren’t you out hunting? 

Poppy. I’m busy. Phlox. Papa has to stay so late at 
the newspaper office now that I must always watch the 
house. Have you had lunch? 


THE BLUE ROBIN 


137 


Phlox. No, not yet. I’m going to run home now a 
minute and eat a little corn-meal pudding. It’s all 
anybody eats any more. It takes no time to fix it. 
Then I’ll get out my lantern and get ready to hunt 
to-night. They’ve put a new sign up right over there. 
See, you can read it from here. Aren’t the blue let¬ 
ters pretty on the yellow paper! 

Poppy. Yes, indeed. What does it say! ‘‘Reward for 
finding the Blue Robin.—The finder and his rela¬ 
tives shall be pensioned for life. He shall be appointed 
Poet Laureate. He shall be given a regiment, a steam 
yacht, a special train and a pound of candy every day 
from the national candy mills. Moreover, if he be 
of suitable age when the Princess Honey is grown, she 
shall be his bride. ’’ Oh, isn’t it wonderful! 

Phlox. Too bad you can’t hunt. Poppy. School is out, 
too. The emperor says that finding the Blue Robin, 
and establishing peace in the kingdom is more impor¬ 
tant than books. All the children are out hunting, but 
you. 

Poppy. I know, but I must take care of the children. 
It is my duty. Poor papa can’t afford to hire a house¬ 
keeper, and poor mamma is dead. 

Phlox. Well, I’m sorry for you, Poppy. But I must 
hurry. Good-by. 

Poppy. Good-by, and good luck to you. 

Exit Phlox. Enter Petunia. 

Petunia. Are you going to mend a while. Poppy! 

Poppy. Yes, Petunia. Here by the window. But you 
must go to bed soon, little sister. 

Petunia. Yes, but Poppy, tell me something about the 
Blue Robin before I go. 


138 


80ME LITTLE PLAYS 


Poppy. I donT know much. Nobody is even quite cer¬ 
tain that he has seen it himself. But every one knows 
somebody else, who knows somebody else, who has. 
And if you could ever find the first somebody, why, he 
could tell about the Blue Eobin. 

Petunia. Can’t they find the first somebody? 

Poppy. I think he died before the rest of the people 
were born. But Petunia, there is a wonderful blue 
stone in the king^s crown, unlike any other precious 
stone, and they say it is the Blue Eobin’s egg! 

Petunia. Oh! 

Poppy. And there is a little Blue Book in the king^s 
library, which has a strange verse in it about the Blue 
Eobin. 

Petunia. Do you know the verse. Poppy? 

Poppy. Yes, I learned it at school. It goes this way: 

^ ^ He who loveth me alone. 

Can tell me not from stick or stone. 

He who loveth more than me. 

Shall me in fullest glory see. ’ ’ 

Petunia. What does that mean? 

Poppy. I donT know. But there, you must go to bed. 
Petunia. And I must mend. It is growing dark. 

Exit Petunia. Silence for a while. 

Poppy. Papa said he would be until midnight again. 
Well, I shall just lie down here and rest a while before 
I mend any more. I can scarcely keep my eyes open. 

Poppy lies down on the couch. All is still. A blue light 
is seen and then the Blue Robin flies past the windowy 
and finally lights on the window sill. Poppy awakes. 


THE BLUE ROBIN 


139 


Poppy. Oh! What is that wonderful blue light? It 
shines like a lamp! Can it be? Oh, it is the Blue 
Robin! And it is far lovelier than I ever dreamed! 

The Blue Robin sings. 

Poppy. How sweetly it sings! [He goes to wmdow.] 
Poppy. Ah, it has lighted on my finger. To think, while 
all the world was out hunting the Blue Robin, it has 
come of its own accord to a poor little stay-at-home 
boy like me! Ah, sweet bird, I must take you to the 
king. How glad he will be! How glad everybody 
will be! 


Scene II 

Time : The same evening. 

Place : In front of the royal palace. 

Discovered: Kjng Cheysanthemum, Queen Yolanda 
and the Princess Honey. 

Queen. Well, well, it is nearly midnight. My dear lit¬ 
tle Honey, we would better go in. It is time you were 
in bed. 

Princess. Oh, mother, let ’s watch a little longer. You 
know I took such a lovely long nap this afternoon, 
just so I could stay up to-night. I feel so wide awake. 

Queen. What do you say. Chrysanthemum? 

King. Oh, Yolanda, let the child stay up. She wouldn T 
sleep anyway. None of us can sleep any more. 

Queen. Now, dear, you are worrying again. 

King. The bird won T be found, I tell you. I can T help 
worrying. 


140 


SOME LITTLE PLAYS 


Princess. Now, father, I think it will. All the mothers 
have untied the children from their apron strings, 
and everybody is hunting so hard. 

King. Well, darling, I wish I could think so. Aha! 
Who comes here? My good Dandelion! 

Dandelion. Yes, my liege. 

Queen. Your lordship ^s health has evidently declined. 

Dandelion. Ah, your Majesty, this situation is getting 
on my nerves. I don’t feel hopeful, I tell you. I 
worry. Majesty, what shall we do if this search fails ? 

King. Don’t—I beg you, my lord—don’t say it may 
fail! 

Dandelion. But it may. You know it, sire. 

King. Don’t, don’t—! 

Shouts are heard. ‘‘All the lanterns have gone out!” 
“All the lanterns have gone out!” “It’s dark!” 
“Oh!” “Oh, what is that wonderful blue light?” 
‘ ‘ That wonderful blue light! ” “ Oh, Poppy has found 
the Blue Bobin!” “Poppy has found the Blue 
Eobin! ’ ’ 

Enter Phlox, running. 

Phlox. Poppy has found the Blue Eobin! 

Enter Lords Thistle and Hollyhock. 

Hollyhock. King Chrysanthemum, the Blue Eobin 
has been found. A little lad has found the Blue 
Eobin! 

Thistle. It is even so, your Majesty. 

Enter Poppy with the Blue Robin. 

Poppy. See, your Majesty! 

King. Beautiful, beautiful! My Lord Dandelion, bid 


^‘Here, Your Majesty!’^ 























































142 


SOME LITTLE PLAYS 


the crowd stand at a distance of fifty paces. If all 
crowd close, no one can see. 

Dandelion. At your service, Majesty. On my word, 
the bird seems to light the whole city. 

Exit Dandelion. 

Phlox. Your father will be here. Poppy. I saw him 
coming down the fire escape with his pen behind his 
ear. 

King. Come, my lad, stand here on the step so that all 
can see. Mayhap the sweet bird will now sing for us. 

{The Blue Robin sings.] 

Enter Dandelion. 

Dandelion. Your Majesty, it is wonderful. Every one 
can see and hear plainly, even at the edge of the 
crowd. Ah, it has stopped. That heavenly music! 

King. Poppy, you shall now receive your reward, and 
I will take the Blue Robin and put him in a golden 
cage, and have him gniarded by a regiment of picked 
soldiers. 

Poppy. Here, your Majesty. 

King. What is this! The Blue Robin has disappeared! 

All. The Blue Robin is gone! 

Queen. But oh. Chrysanthemum, did you not hear 
that last faint, sweet song, far above the city roofs? 

Peincess. Yes, father, the pretty bird has left us, but 
it said ‘ ‘ Good-by. ’ ’ 

Poppy. Yes, your Majesty, it is gone. Perhaps it did 
not want to be put in a cage. And anyhow, it knows 
we will never forget it and its song, and never doubt it 
any more. 

Thistle. Majesty, the boy is right. The bird has been 


THE BLUE ROBIN 


143 


seen and heard by so many witnesses that there will 
be no doubt as to its existence. There will be no more 
A. B. R. ’s. We are all F. B. R’s now! 

Dandelion. Oh, what a jolly time we’ll have in parlia¬ 
ment now. I can just see everybody shaking hands 
at our meeting. 

King. Delightful! Peace at last! I say, Lord Dande¬ 
lion, arrange to have ice cream and cake served at the 
next meeting of parliament. My treat! 

Dandelion. Capital! Thank you. Majesty. 

Hollyhock. [To Thistle] His Majesty has such 
pleasant ideas. 

Thistle. Yes, indeed. 

Queen. Where were you hunting. Poppy, when you 
found the Blue Robin? 

Poppy. I wasn’t hunting, please your Majesty. I was 
at home caring for my little brothers and sisters, 
while papa was working late at the newspaper office. 
And the dear, beautiful bird flew in to me. 

Queen. Oh, Chrysanthemum, do you remember—in 
the little Blue Book ? 

King. Yes, I do. Indeed, I do. 

/‘He who loveth me alone. 

Can tell me not from stick or stone. 

He who loveth more than me. 

Shall me in fullest glory see. ’ ’ 

Pkincess. Oh, father, I understand it now! 

King. Yes, I think we all do, my dear. 

Tableau 
Enter Page. 

Page. Poppy had his reward at once, that is, every- 


144 


SOME LITTLE PLAYS 


thing except the hand of Princess Honey, and he and 
his father and his little brothers and sisters were 
very rich and happy until he grew to be a man. Then 
the Princess Honey had grown to be a beautiful 
maiden and he married her with great pomp. And 
the king gave them the Blue Robin’s egg for a wed¬ 
ding present. 

HELPS FOR THE ACTORS 

Another delightful play for the puppet stage. There 
is a lot of humor in it. Can you decide what kind of 
humor it is mainly? 

There is a very good gesture to go with each of the 
first five speeches of the play. Can you decide on them 
all? 

What are the seven funniest speeches in Scene II? 
In how many cases does the person who is speaking 
mean to be funny? Study the expression of these 
speeches very carefully. 

In how many places in Scene III would the lords 
speak in lowered voices? Do the same thing for this 
scene that you did for Scene II. 

In Act II, Scene II, when would the king speak in a 
weary, discouraged tone? When would he speak in a 
tone of sharp anxiety ? When joyfully ? When kindly ? 
When decidedly and commandingly? 

The second act is pretty serious all the way through, 
but can you find a few funny speeches in it? Tell how 
each person would look during the tableau. 

MORAL QUESTION 

Why did the Blue Robin come to Poppy? 


APPENDIX 


LETTER NO. I 

Dear children: 

This first helping letter is on a subject of great im¬ 
portance. I spoke a little about it in the introduction, 
but it is worth a whole letter to itself. It is the subject 
of emphasis. Now perhaps you do not know what that 
word means, but it is easily explained. Emphasis is just 
saying certain words in a sentence so that they sound 
more important than the others, which is exactly what 
they should do, because they are more important. 

You know very well that all the words in a sentence 
do not help the meaning of the sentence as much as some 
of them do. But you know that some children, when they 
read, say all the words just alike. Perhaps you say that 
they do not put any expression in it. Some children I 
know, however, say they do not like to read with ‘‘ex¬ 
pression. ’ ^ They have somehow gotten the notion that 
it means putting on airs. But reading with the right 
emphasis is not that at all. It is just using good sense. 

There are four ways of making a word or group of 
words sound more important than the rest of the words 
in the sentence. The first way is to let your voice rise 
on that word. The second way is to let your voice fall. 
The third way is to read it slower than the others, and 
the fourth way is to read it faster. Now as you are not 
grown-up readers yet, you need not worry much about 
the second and fourth ways, but just use mainly the first 
and third. You will probably find that you will use them 


145 


146 


SOME LITTLE PLAYS 


both at the same time on the same word. So that if you 
let your voice rise on the important words and at the 
same time say them slower than the others, you will be 
reading with very fair emphasis though perhaps not 
with the very finest of expression. To get that you must 
enter into the spirit of the sentence. 

There are usually two or three words in each sen¬ 
tence that should be so emphasized. I will give you a 
sample out of each play in this book, but you see how 
much that will leave you to decide yourself. 

‘ ‘ Sonny, there was only one boy there, and that boy 
was you. What you heard was your echo. If you had 
spoken only Mnd and polite words, only hind and polite 
words would have come hack to you. 

‘‘Yes, that is very well. But now it is my turn. Let 
me try again, and we shall see.’^ 

“A few nuts indeed! More than a few, I call it. See 
here, selfish little brother, why don’t you use your wits? 
Take only half as many, and you can easily get your 
hand out.” 

‘ ‘ Mr. Dog, you cannot eat the hay yourself, and you 
will let no one else have any of it. Such selfishness and 
ill humor will some day be punished.^^ 

‘*Bear brother Ant, will you not give me just a little 
food to keep me from starving during this cruel win¬ 
ter!” 

‘ ‘ Many, many thanks, kind Dove. You will never re¬ 
gret helping me. Some day I will pay you hach/^ 

“Ha, ha, Mr. Tortoise, slow as usual! How do you 
ever get anywhere at that rate ! Now I can run like the 
mnd. Don’t you envy meF” 

‘ ‘ Good morning, friend Reynard. You are looking so 
well. It’s a little cool out this morning, isnH it! Do 


APPENDIX 


147 


come inside and have a little chat with me. I have a 
comfortable den, if 1 do say it.’^ 

‘‘Hold on, my friend. You don’t mecm all of that. 
You are indeed quite strong. But you are not the 
strongest thing there is. Now 7 am stronger than you, 
and can accomplish greater things.^^ 

“But, sir, my master trusts me to take care of the 
sheep. It would not be right to leave them.” 

Like it! I reckon. Washington in my hero, sir. It 
seems like getting a fortune to get the book that tells all 
about him for shucking corn only three days.^’ 

“These are troublous times. How much rather would 
I stay here at quiet Mount Vernon, and care for this 
estate, than go to Philadelphia. But my duty is clear. 
I must write Brian that we are on opposite sides of a 
grave question, that will doubtless separate many other 
friends besides us two. ’ ’ 

“This is a great place to see, isnH it, Tim! When 
grandpa goes around that corner, he won’t be ten feet 
away from me. Won’t I wave at him, though! Maybe 
he^ll wave hack, even if he is carrying the flag.^^ 

‘‘Aha! Friends of the forest, here is a boy who hates 
trees. Something must be done about him.^^ 

“But Stephen, it’s sentiment of the right sort that 
makes the world go round. ’ ’ 

“I’ve lost my Christmas money, Sam. I’ve hunted 
for it all the way between here and the 5c/ioo^house and 
I couldn’t find it. I’m sure I had it when I left school.'' 

“To India, Howard. I’m taking a little preliminary 
course in Hindustani now. I did think seriously of go¬ 
ing to Africa. Then when I finally decided on Asia, I 


148 


SOME LITTLE PLAYS 


had an awful time choosing among China, Japan and 
India, They are all so interesting.’’ 

^^This is a strange forest. Never did I see one so 
dark, so gloomy and so dense. And the gleaming white 
towers of that castle that I have followed for so many 
a day seem as far away as ever. There must be some 
magic spell upon this place.” 

‘ ^ I can make you only one such mask. When you once 
fit your face to the magic mask, you must constantly 
wear that pleasant and kind expression. One harsh 
frown, one cruel smile, and the mask will be cracked and 
ruined forever. To avoid this, you must speak only kind 
words, you must do only gracious deeds, you must 
think only beautiful thoughts. Do you understand? 

don’t know much. Nobody is even quite certain 
that he has seen it himself. But every one knows some¬ 
body else who knows somebody else, who has. And if 
you ever could find the first somebody, why, he could 
tell about the Blue Eobin. ’ ’ 

Now, children, not until you realize that every sen¬ 
tence in every speech in every play is worth just such 
careful treatment, will you have caught the real spirit 
of acting. It is emphasis that puts a speech across. Yet 
emphasis is not the only thing that is necessary to good 
reading or good acting, but it is the first thing. And if 
you get it, you will naturally grow into the other things. 

LETTER NO. II 

Dear children: 

This second helping letter will be a short one, about 
costumes and scenery. What I say here will apply to 
all the plays except the last three. 


APPENDIX 


149 


In the first place, you know how much more interest¬ 
ing a play is if there are costumes and properties. You 
feel much more like taking the part of a king if you have 
a gilt crown on your head. The role of a knight is much 
more interesting if you can have a sword, even if it is 
only a wooden one. You seem much more like a farmer 
if you have on overalls and a straw hat. You are a much 
more real grandma in a cap, spectacles and a shawl. 

A good play for children does not require many cos¬ 
tumes or properties. They are in the way, and a great 
worry. Few of the plays in this book require anything 
at all special in the way of costumes. All of them, how¬ 
ever, will be better if something is done to dress them 
up a bit, even if it only means putting on a cap or top 
coat instead of remaining in indoor costume. I will 
speak briefly of the plays where a little something spe¬ 
cial is necessary. Of course, whether you want just to 
read the play in class, or give it for Opening Exercises, 
or for an entertainment, makes some difference. But 
in any case you want to get the costumes up as quickly 
and with as little trouble as possible. 

In the first play, the boy should wear a cap, at least, 
and the mother should wear an apron. 

In the animal plays very interesting effects come by 
making animal faces or heads for the children to wear. 
Something like a mask. 

In the play of the Wind 
and the Sun, the sun might 
wear a halo something like 
this, made of paper and 
painted yellow. The wind 
might wear a long, floating 
veil. 



150 


SOME LITTLE PLAYS 


In Hans the Shepherd Boy, the prince may be effec¬ 
tively dressed in a long cape borrowed from his sister, 
one of his father’s soft hats graced with a pasteboard 
buckle and one of his mother’s old plumes, his own 
gauntlet gloves, boots or leggings if he has them, with 
the whole effect considerably improved by the addition 
of a little moustache either stuck or painted on Hans 
has only to take off his coat, turn doAvn his collar, roll 
up his sleeves, wear a carelessly knotted Windsor tie, a 
sash, ribbon or scarf around his waist, and carry a 
crook. The followers may wear capes, hats like the 
prince, and spears with heads cut out of tin cans and 
stuck in bamboo poles, with pennons cut out of bright 
scraps from the rag bag. 

In Training for the Presidency, the picture is sug¬ 
gestive enough. 

In Commander in Chief, the boys may wear buckles 
at their knees and on their shoes, light colored vests bor¬ 
rowed from their big brothers, and lace jabots, either 
real, or made from crepe paper. Their hair may be 
powdered, and a soft hat of father’s can be easily 
changed into a three-cornered one with a cockade. The 
girls will have to put a little more work into their cos¬ 
tumes. 

In The Boy Who Hated Trees, the sprites may be 
dressed in any sort of fairy or elf costume. The trees 
of the forest may each carry a branch, imitation or real. 

In A Lesson in Geography, the Chinese boy should 
have rather coarse black hair which he should brush up 
in as straight and stiff a pompadour as possible. Slant¬ 
ing eyebrows painted on with black paint, and the cor¬ 
ners of his eyes elongated upward with the same will 
give an Oriental effect. The same things may be done 


APPENDIX 


151 


to the little Japanese girl. She should have sleek bobbed 
hair. The Hindu boy should be a naturally dark and 
handsome boy. Blackening the eyebrows, together with 
wearing the turban, will produce the desired effect. 

You see there is not much really necessary that you 
children cannot easily get together. About the only dif¬ 
ficulty is in case you would wish to costume carefully a 
play where one of you has to take the part of a modern, 
grown-up person. Unless a boy is pretty big it will be 
hard for him to get long trousers to fit him, and it will 
be hard for the girls to get long skirts and dresses that 
will really look well. It is just a case where you have 
to do what you can and then be satisfied. 

I am sure you will agree with me that the costumes 
are one of the most interesting things about a play, and 
that you will feel more proud of your play if they are 
good. But they need not take too much trouble or work. 

LETTER NO. Ill 

Dear children: 

I know you will be interested in this last letter. It is 
about the last three plays in the book. Maybe you 
thought, as you read them over, '‘Dear me, how could 
anyone ever learn all of his part in such long plays! 
And what a lot of expensive costumes and scenery you 
would have to have! ’ ^ 

That is quite true, and so, if you should ever give 
these plays in the regular way, you would only do it for 
a big entertainment to make money, or for some other 
important occasion. Otherwise you would not want to 
take all the trouble that would be necessary. 

But there is a way in which these plays can be given 
without all the work needed for doing it on a large 


152 


SOME LITTLE PLAYS 


scale. Yes, they can be given as puppet plays. And 
there is no more interesting project. 

The first thing to do is to make the puppet stage. Take 
a large box, from five to six feet high when it is turned 
up on end, and from two to three feet wide. Now saw 



out the top end so that the box has only four sides— 
a front, two sides and a bottom. Now then nail four up¬ 
right sticks to each of the top corners of the box. Con¬ 
nect the tops of these sticks with other sticks. 

It is much nicer if the front one of these sticks is not 
straight but curved upward. A rocker from an old rock- 




































APPENDIX 


153 


ing-chair will serve very nicely for this. Now you can 
get some house paint and paint your stage any color 
you wish, with another color for trimming. Here is a 
view of the stage which I think will explain anything 
you did not understand as you read this over. 

But now do you not wish a curtain, a beautiful crim¬ 
son, or blue or rich green curtain? You do not need to 
get velvet, for velveteen is just as pretty, and will be 
worth every cent you spend on it. Get what you need, 
hem the bottom of it, both pieces, for of course you must 
cut it in two, and cut the top to fit the curve of the front 
stick of your stage. 

The next thing is to make a casing in the top and 
string the curtain on a wire, a pretty stiff wire, and 
fasten by means of three nails to the curved stick. 
Now your curtain can be slipped back and forth. Here 
is how it will look. I am showing one half open and 
one half shut. 
































154 


SOME LITTLE PLAYS 


But what is the next step ? Well, I am sure that when 
you open your beautiful curtain you do not wish to see 
those upright sticks back there. You must have some 
scenery, must you not? Get pieces of pasteboard to fit 
the back and sides of your stage. Paste drawing paper 
on the pasteboard. Then either draw your scenes and 
paint them, or draw them and color them with crayon. 




It is a good idea to make a little thumbnail sketch such 
as I am showing you here, before you start on your big 















































APPENDIX 


155 


scene. These will help you, but I purposely left some of 
the scenes to your imagination. Painting scenery is de¬ 
lightful work for those who have any talent in art. 

And now at last we have come to the puppets them¬ 
selves. A puppet, you know, is a little doll. Some pup¬ 
pets have all sorts of joints and pulleys to them so that 
they may be worked from above by means of many fine 
threads attached to each. But the kind I am going to 
tell you about is just a plain little doll, mounted on a 
stick and worked, or moved about, from below by some 
one kneeling in the puppet stage box. 

You see, the puppet stage has no floor to it. You 
simply kneel down in the box and, holding the little pup¬ 
pet by the stick, you push it up just high enough so that 
its feet, but none of the stick, will show. Then when the 
puppet is supposed to walk, you can move it steadily 
along from the window to the door, or wherever you 
wish. You can make it bow by just tipping it a little, 
and so on. 

You will be surprised how much like little people the 
puppets look at a little distance. Their movements 
seem very human and natural, when you have learned 
to hold them steadily and move them smoothly. 

If your stage is a little small, the puppets may be 
made from clothespins. If the stage is larger, the little 
six- or seven-inch celluloid dolls you buy at the ten-cent 
store are better. Of course they cannot be jointed dolls. 
The girls will enjoy dressing either clothespins or dolls, 
I am sure. Tha t is even more fun than painting scenery. 

You see, now, I suppose, why it would not be neces¬ 
sary for you to learn your part by heart. The audience 
does not see you at all. It only sees the little stage with 
the little dolls moving about in front of their painted 


156 


SOME LITTLE PLAYS 


scenery. You are down behind the box, talking as the 
little puppets move. But as the audience does not see 
you, it is not necessary for you to have learned your 
speeches. You can have your book or paper with you 
and read your part. Needless to say, however, you 
must be very familiar with it all, so you can look off the 
book frequently and watch your management of your 
puppet. 

Fairy plays are especially delightful to give in this 
way. The bright costumes and pretty scenes can be 
shown better than in any other way. The audience is 
really transported for a while into fairyland. 

If you could figure up some safe way to light your 
stage, these puppet plays would be delightful to give at 
night for a program. 




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GOOD BOOKS FOR CHILDREN’S READING 


These books are all intended for children from five to 
ten years. They represent a step forward in story-book 
making, and contain fresh material, the kind that is 
being placed in the best schools of to-day. 

Artistically the books set a new standard. Each book 
has from thirty to ninety illustrations which are par¬ 
ticularly attractive, and many of which are in colors. 

Mechanically the books are superior. The paper used, 
the large type, and the general arrangement are all de¬ 
termined by careful experimenting in order to safeguard 
the eyesight of children. All books are attractively 
bound in cloth stamped in two colors. 

Animal-Land Children. By Margaret Flora. 

A story of the contest for the Magic Glasses, or how the 
little animal children wished to become wise. 128 pages, 
with 35 illustrations, frontispiece in colors. Cloth, 70 
cents. 

Bow-Wow and Mew-Mew. By Georgiana M. Craik. 

Edited by Joseph C. Sindelar. 

The story of a young dog and cat. An unusually attractive 
edition of one of the greatest favorites among classic tales for 
children. 95 pages, with 32 illustrations in colors. Cloth, 
55 cents. 

A Child’s Robinson Crusoe. By William L. Nida and 
Stella H. Nida. 

Defoe's famous story of Robinson Crusoe rewritten in a 
charming manner for young children. 160 pages, with 37 
illustrations. Cloth, 65 cents. 

Father Thrift and His Animal Friends. By Joseph C. 
Sindelar. 

One of the most fascinating stories for children ever writ¬ 
ten. Incidentally it teaches the worthy lesson of thrift. 
128 pages, with 49 pictures in black and color and decorated 
end sheets. Cloth, 70 cents. 


BECKLEY-CARDY COMPANY Publishers CHICAGO 






GOOD BOOKS FOR CHILDREN’S READING 

For children from five to ten years 

Nonsense Rhymes and Animal Stories. By Alhambra 
G. Deming. 

Charming little rhymes and stories, incidentally teaching 
habits of good English to the little folks. 64 pages, with 35 
illustrations in black and color. Cloth, d5 cents. 

The Teenie Weenies. By William Donahey and Efiie 
E. Baker. 

The adventures of these strange tiny folks are related in 
a manner that is delightfully simple and realistic, and 
which will be found to appeal to the child’s sense of humor. 
141 pages, with 72 illustrations in colors and decorated end 
sheets. Cloth, 70 cents. 

Two Indian Children of Long Ago. By Frances 
Lillian Taylor. 

A collection of beautiful Indian legends, giving an intimate 
picture of Indian child life. 160 pages, with 40 illustra¬ 
tions in black and color. Cloth, 70 cents. 

Nixie Bunny in Manners-Land. By Joseph C. Sindelar. 
This is the first of the popular Nixie Bunny Books which 
have been read wherever there are children. It is a rabbit 
story of good manners. 144 pages, with 62 Illustrations in 
colors and decorated end sheets. Cloth, 70 cents. 

The other books in the same series are: 

Nixie Bunny in Workaday-Land 

A rabbit story of the occupations and industry. 144 pages, 
with 90 illustrations in colors and decorated end sheets. 
Cloth, 70 cents. 

Nixie Bunny in Holiday-Land 

A rabbit story of the holidays. 159 pages, with 82 illustra¬ 
tions in colors and decorated end sheets. Cloth, 70 cents. 

Nixie Bunny in Faraway-Lands 

A rabbit story of strange little folk. 160 pages, with 94 
illustrations in colors and decorated end sheets. Cloth 70 
cents^ ’ 


BECKLET-CAEDY COMPANY Publishers CHICAGO 







































































































